Becoming Doctor Jones
by rianess
Summary: Super!Martha, Martha/Ten romance. Martha knows she is special. She thinks the Doctor hasn't noticed. Somebody else has, and has come to make Martha an offer. What will she decide, and what will the consequences, for her and the Doctor, be?
1. Part One: Lady Silverhair

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction story and not written for any financial gain of any kind. All rights to Doctor Who and any associated material belong to the BBC and any other affiliated entities. Thanks.**

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**A/N: This is not my first fanfic, but is my first venture into the Doctor Who fandom. Please feel free to review, all comments are welcome, but please no flames - they are completely pointless and absurd. This is a blatant Super!Martha fic, and is a Martha/10th Doctor romance. Please hit the back button if either of these things offends you.**

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**

**This is now the edited version, beta read by the brilliant Persiflage - thanks for all your hard work!**

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**_Becoming Dr Jones_**

**_by Rianess_**

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**Part One: **Lady Silverhair

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"You are your choices."

**Seneca**

* * *

**Martha**

When Martha first imagined what travelling with the Doctor would be like, working in a shop for a pittance, just to pay their way while they were trapped in 1969, was not one of the many scenarios she had contemplated. And who could blame her, really? All of time and space, he'd promised her. Instead she was being ordered around by an obese, middle aged woman who called her a Negro when she thought Martha couldn't hear her.

She treated Martha like dirt, to be frank, and seemed to think that the colour of Martha's skin had some kind of effect on her IQ. The women who came into the shop, which sold shoes and other accessories, took great delight in ordering around the 'coloured' girl, and made snide comments when she turned her back. Sadly, it was the best job she had been able to find on short notice. And out of all the jobs she could get with no qualifications the people here would recognise or believe were real, it was the highest paid. She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry sometimes. Her life really wasn't what she'd had in mind.

The Doctor appeared totally oblivious to her plight, as was the norm for him. Martha of course had no idea what was actually going on in his head, _(she wasn't at all sure he knew himself half the time)_, but from outward appearances, _(which was all she had to go on)_, he had not a care in the world and couldn't conceive of the fact that anyone else, _(here read Martha)_, could have any either.

She reminded herself that she shouldn't analyse him from a human perspective, since he wasn't human, but she also didn't think she was being unreasonable by expecting some consideration from him. She was, after all, the one who was grafting here, day after day, six days a week in fact, to pay their rent and put food on the table, while he sat at home and did who knew what. Poring over that packet they got from Sally Sparrow, most likely, and building some contraption or other.

She'd noticed that the more time they spent here, the less he seemed to talk to her or even notice she was there. Maybe it was his way of coping with being trapped in one particular time. After all, he had to have some serious wanderlust to have spent so many years, hundreds of years in fact, travelling and never settling down.

All the same, she wished he would just do something, say something, to acknowledge all she was doing, no matter how mundane it seemed to him.

"You know, I admire your determination my dear."

The voice startled her from her introspection. She had been in the alley at the back of the shop, putting the rubbish in one of the communal dustbins. She turned sharply to the direction she'd heard the voice from.

Standing not twelve feet from her was a being that looked like something out of a fantasy novel. Travelling with a Time Lord, Martha had seen some pretty odd looking creatures, but this one, well, she looked like a fairy or a pixie.

"W-Who are you?" She demanded and the creature smiled. Martha relaxed in spite of herself. That immediately put her on edge again, because she figured this being must be emitting some kind of energy which made her calm. That was not good in her opinion. She abhorred being controlled, which made her association with the Doctor all the more frustrating for her.

"I'm sorry if I startled you. It was not my intention to frighten you." The being laughed suddenly and clapped her hands together once. "Forgive me if I seem a little tense, but I have been watching you for such a long time, and now I'm finally talking to you – I'm quite excited."

"What do you mean, you've been watching me? Why? And what do you want?" Martha was not going to let this woman scare her, well, not again anyway.

"It's such a long story but – well, let me summarise. I was born on a distant planet, long ago. A planet which no longer exists, sadly. You know of what happens when a star dies? I believe people of your world call it – supernova," She paused and Martha nodded. She couldn't help feeling sorry for this – woman – for that was what she appeared to be. She had lost her home, just like the Doctor. It had burned, just like Gallifrey. Though in this case one could argue that it was a natural end, but Martha reckoned that didn't make it any easier.

"Well, I left before that happened, but when the sun died, so did the moons and all the planets in the system. My moon died. I knew then it was only a matter of time before I followed too. So I began to search,"

"Search? For what?" The comment about the moon didn't faze her. After all, if a sun could be alive, why couldn't a moon? Funny how after only a relatively short time with the Doctor, that having a conversation with a living moon, in an alley at the back of a shop, years before she was born didn't seem odd to her.

"I did not want my legacy, and the legacy of my people to die. I cannot, ah, what is the word? Ah, yes, I cannot procreate, in the way your people do – you are such a _resourceful_ species, truly. But all the same, I didn't want everything I was, everything we were, to just, fade away. I'm sure you understand."

And Martha did. Of course she did. Who really wanted to see the end of everything they were, everything they knew. She realised that that was part of the reason the Doctor had kept going and not ended it all after his people perished.

"So I searched for a person, someone I could pass on my knowledge and power to. But I didn't want just anyone. I needed someone of a certain intelligence for a start; otherwise they would not be able to handle what I have to give. Also, I wanted someone with some zing!"

Martha laughed, she couldn't help herself. "Zing?" she questioned and the woman laughed with her.

"Yes, zing! I wanted someone who had the same zest for life as me. Someone who looked at the universe and though she could see it was dangerous, she could see how wonderful it was at the same time. Someone, for example, who would stand on a moon and say that although she knew she could die at any moment, would also say it was beautiful." The woman had gradually been moving closer, and yet, Martha was not afraid.

Perhaps she was being stupid, by not running, by listening and maybe even being taken in, but she couldn't help herself. This woman, this alien had watched her, and this woman thought she was special.

"Someone like you, Martha. I saw you before you met your travelling companion. I saw you grow and devote your life to healing. I saw you risk your life to save the people in that hospital. I've seen it all; I've been there and watched as you faced death. Please don't be angry with me if it seems like I've let you down." Martha had been thinking just that – if this woman had watched as she sank towards the sun in an escape pod – and did nothing –

"If your Doctor had not saved you, I would have. Because you're the one, Martha. You are _so_ special, you are _so_ amazing, that you put me to shame. No, really! Don't shake your head. I know things have been tough, really tough, and I would take you away from here if it wouldn't cause a paradox, I –" The woman shuddered and Martha instinctively reached out to her.

"Are you alright? What can I do?"

The woman wheezed as she spoke, suddenly sounding old and weary. "My time is almost up. I'm sorry to rush you, but I have to have an answer soon. Will you take it, Martha? Will you take my knowledge, my power, and go and do good things? Will you travel to the furthest stars and see the sun rise on distant shores? Will you be all that you can be, and most importantly, will you have fun doing it?" She smiled at the last and Martha smiled with her.

Maybe it was the fact that the Doctor hardly seemed to notice her these days. Maybe it was that even when he did, he made her feel like second best. Maybe it was all those months in 1913, watching him fall in love with a human who wasn't her. Maybe it was the musical quality of this woman's voice, and the adventures her words promised. Maybe it was all of these things and more.

"Yes I will."

* * *

Martha sat with Lady Silverhair as she died.

She knew now who and what this woman was. Knew her life, her woes, and her world. She saw her husband, a handsome man named Gannayev. She saw how complete and yet cursed their love was. Gannayev had been forty summers when they met, and though they had nigh on a hundred years together, Lady Silverhair had lived thousands of years without him. She saw their children grow, have children of their own, and then they too died. Lady Silverhair was the only one left.

She wondered about why Lady Silverhair would put herself through all that. She knew intellectually how much the woman had loved Gannayev, but she did not feel those feelings herself. She had her benefactress' knowledge, but she was still Martha Jones. She, for her sins, still loved the Doctor.

And now she had assimilated Lady Silverhair's power, she knew that she too would live much longer than her peers. Her family would die long before her. Any human she fell in love with, she would outlive. Possibly she would outlive her children, if she had any with a human. For though Martha was still part human, she was now part – something _else_.

"_Celestial"_ – her mind supplied the word. She was part _Celestial_. However, where Lady Silverhair had been born from her moon, Martha had been born human. She was not tied to the moon; she would not suffer due to its destruction. She would age slower, she would not get ill. She would heal from injuries very quickly, she would be faster, stronger, have more stamina – she wasn't even sure where her limits would now lay.

But oh, she was looking forward to finding out.

* * *

When she arrived home, the Doctor was still sitting in the kitchen, right where she'd left him that morning, working on his contraption. Lady Silverhair was gone, her form just... dissipated when she died. Though she felt a bit guilty for thinking it, Martha was glad since it meant she didn't have a corpse to try and explain to the authorities.

Despite her recent upload of knowledge, Martha still had no idea what the Doctor was making. She wasn't surprised that she didn't know, since Celestials were not technologically advanced like the Time Lords. They didn't even have the same sort of technology as the humans of this age. Their power was something akin to that of the Carrionites whom she and the Doctor had encountered when they met Shakespeare. They used sound, rather than words or numbers, to manipulate matter and energy. Some of them could do it soundlessly even, through a sheer act of will. Martha realised she would need to get some practice in before she would be able to even light a candle without matches.

"That you back then?" The Doctor said, startling her. He rarely ever said anything when she came in, apart from an occasional 'Hmm'.

She was suddenly worried – what if he could sense that something had changed about her? Could he read auras or something? Did she smell different, or what?

"Are you alright Martha?" The Doctor had put down his gizmo and taken his glasses off to look at her.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" she replied, not thinking that her answer wasn't exactly convincing.

"Hmm," he said, looking back at his work.

Martha internally heaved a big sigh of relief. "I'm just off for a shower," she said and hastily left the kitchen.

* * *

**The Doctor**

For his part, the Doctor had noticed her heart speeding up and a colour rising in her cheeks. What that meant though, he really wasn't sure. He'd never been good at understanding women, and no matter how long he lived, they never became less baffling to him.

He knew, of course, that he'd rather taken advantage of Martha. And not just in the few months they'd been trapped in this time period. Martha had appeared in his life at a point when he really didn't want anyone else. He'd been grieving, and investigating what was happening at the hospital was a way of distracting himself. He'd never intended to take up with someone new.

But, for all his reasons, he'd not been able to resist. She'd just been so sparky, and bright. Never mind that she was beautiful, she was brilliant too. It took an awful lot of hard work to succeed as a doctor, especially for a woman, and especially for someone who wasn't white. Oh, people in the twenty first century claimed that racism was gone and that all people were equal, but the ideology was still there, buried, in the subconscious.

But Martha hadn't let any of that stop her, and oh, how he admired that.

Didn't matter though, how brilliant or beautiful he thought she was. He was a coward, plain and simple. He was sick of being hurt, of losing people, and he did not want to fall again. Martha had only to smile at him and he felt himself falling, damn it! That was not what he wanted, and it would not do either of them any good.

So, he pushed her away, maintained his distance. And he hurt her. He used her. Not just now, but in 1913 too. He'd behaved abominably. Why on Earth did he choose to hide in a time when he knew she would be persecuted? Worse than that, he'd had her become his servant, a demeaning position that degraded her, every day. But then, she went and proved him wrong. In the dance hall, she stood and she fought, no matter what people had said to her. No matter how badly he had treated her.

He knew that one of the reasons he'd made those choices was that once he had turned human, the colour of her skin and the difference in their social positions would stop him from courting or pursuing her. There would be a natural barrier there, and his human self would repress whatever desire or attraction still lingered from the Doctor himself.

But then, when he'd changed back, he'd still asked Joan Redfern to come with him. A woman, who he later found out, called Martha a skivvy. Martha hadn't ever intended him to find out, he knew. She nobly wanted to preserve the memory of the woman she assumed he still loved. But she had been drunk and the words just slipped out. She had been telling him how people never believed that someone like her could ever be a doctor.

So, there it was. He was a coward. He knew how he felt for Martha. He knew that the feelings were not going away, that the more he denied them, the stronger they grew.

She had probably been angry earlier, after another horrible day at that lousy shop, where the people ordered her around and insulted her. Where she worked so hard to feed and house both of them.

It was a times like this that the Doctor cursed himself for being such an unmitigated bastard.


	2. Part Two: Words are Power

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction story and not written for any financial gain of any kind. All rights to Doctor Who and any associated material belong to the BBC and any other affiliated entities. Thanks.**

* * *

**A/N: This is not my first fanfic, but is my first venture into the Doctor Who fandom. Please feel free to review, all comments are welcome, but please no flames - they are completely pointless and absurd. This is a blatant Super!Martha fic, and is a Martha/10th Doctor romance. Please hit the back button if either of these things offends you.**

**

* * *

**

**This is now the edited version, beta read by the brilliant Persiflage - thanks for all your hard work!**

* * *

**Part Two: **Words are Power

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"Time discovers truth."

**Seneca**

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**Martha**

Martha felt refreshed after her shower, but tired. She hadn't realised how tired she was until she stepped out of the bathroom and sat on her bed. She heaved great, deep, shaky breaths and noted that it was likely the loss of all the adrenaline in her bloodstream which was making her feel this way.

Even though she was tired, she still had a spark of excitement. What would her life be like now? She knew from her new memories that she had barely even begun to scratch the surface of what was possible in her previous travels. Despite evidence to the contrary, the Doctor had taken her to some of the safer reaches of the galaxies. A lot of their time together in fact, had been spent on Earth.

But the things she had still to see with her own eyes – they blew her mind. The places Lady Silverhair had been, even some of the things she'd seen on her own planet, Abeir-Toril, were almost beyond belief.

Something she hadn't expected though was her new understanding of the Doctor. While she had been washing her hair, she had thought on him and the complexity of their relationship. She had something close to first person perspective on what it felt like for someone who was long lived to fall in love with and lose someone who was short lived. She could now appreciate so clearly how devastating it could be. And she could see why he had acted the way he had.

Rose had been taken from him, she knew, but she also suspected that at some point, he would have pushed her away like the others. Oh, she might have lasted longer than some of the them, but in the end. Well, there was no way to know for sure now. But hadn't he been as close with Sarah-Jane_, (who he had told her all about, not wanting a repeat of last time), _at some point too? And hadn't he left her and not come back? And wasn't he reminded of what might happen when he'd seen her again, and saw how she'd aged?

Martha wasn't ever going to say she thought it was right, that he had done the right thing. But maybe he had done the only thing he could. Hell, in relationships was there ever really a clear right and wrong? Wasn't it always a matter of perspective? Should the Doctor stay on his own forever, just so that he would never lose someone he loved or cared for?

No, life was never simple. No matter if you were human, Time Lord or celestial. Life for the Judoon was probably not simple either. But it _was_ life.

That was the point no one should forget, it might hurt, but there was nothing so wonderful and magical, as life.

* * *

While they were waiting for Billy to pass on the message to Sally and for her to send the TARDIS back to them, Martha spent her time working in the shop and working on her new skills. Of course, she couldn't, _(or wouldn't)_, do the latter where the Doctor might find out, so she pretended she had joined an aerobics class at their local community centre. Sure, it only gave her four hours a week, but it was better than nothing.

She'd thought long and hard about whether she should tell the Doctor about her encounter with Lady Silverhair. For now, she'd decided to keep it to herself. She didn't want to run the risk of him disapproving and didn't relish the idea of him thinking she was just some stupid ape.

Maybe one day she might tell him, but for now, it was her secret and hers alone. The memories she'd gained gave her a clear path to learning how to utilise her new gifts, and she was currently about two thirds along on the target she'd set herself – lighting a candle using only her will.

It had been hours of dull meditation and whatnot to begin with, but tonight she felt closer to success than ever before. She had three candles in front of her, and was trying to focus on lighting them all at once. According to her memories of Lady Silverhair's own training, this would be easier for her to accomplish than selectively choosing which candle she wanted lit, that would come later.

In her distraction, Martha only noticed her success when she refocused and realised she could suddenly read the writing on the poster pasted onto the wall opposite, whereas before it had been too dark.

She almost jumped for joy. She had done it!

She relaxed her mind, told her power what she wanted, it and it had worked. The hardest part was over! Now, she just had to learn control. Well, she had managed to memorise the bones in the human body in two weeks, compared to that, this would be no problem!

* * *

**The Doctor**

The Doctor noticed that when Martha came back from her aerobics class, she was unusually jubilant. He knew that exercise raised endorphins in humans, but this was going to extremes. He had a chilling thought. Had Martha _met _someone? Like, _a man_?

He did not like that thought, not one bit. He told himself it was because it was dangerous for them to form attachments to anyone in this time, for fear of causing paradoxes and the like. But he knew in both his hearts, that it wasn't the only reason, nor the most compelling one either.

He was jealous. Jealous that Martha might look at someone else the way she looked at him. Or the way she used to look at him. Come to think of it, she had spent hardly any time with him since she'd started up those classes of hers. Most days went by with them only sharing breakfast and dinner together. Even then, it wasn't every day that they managed both, and she always had her lunch at work.

He wasn't altogether sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, it meant that they didn't have a chance to grow closer, and thus, he wouldn't be in danger of acting on his feelings. But on the other hand, he missed her.

It was true, he couldn't deny it. And how ridiculous was that? They lived together for Christ's sake and he bloody missed her! Now she had probably met someone new and he would see even less of her. He –

His Timey-wimey detector went off, just at that moment, and he knew exactly what it meant.

His TARDIS had found him.

"MARTHA!" He yelled, before grabbing his coat and running into the hall.

* * *

**Martha**

Martha was glad to be back on the TARDIS. Though she wondered if the ship would notice the change in her and say something to the Doctor. When they first got on board, the Doctor and the time machine seemed to be having a reunion of sorts so Martha slipped out of the control room and down the hall to her room.

As she was unpacking, she felt the touch of the ship on her mind. She gulped, and turned her thoughts inward. It seemed as though the TARDIS had noticed something despite the distraction of the Doctor.

"_You are different, my Martha. But it is not bad. What has happened?"_

Martha was touched at the way the TARDIS addressed her, and, using her skills instinctively, she sent a compressed copy of the memory of her meeting with Lady Silverhair. The TARDIS was silent as she assimilated the information Martha had given her, and when she spoke, it was with great sadness.

_"Selûne is dead," _she wailed and Martha's stomach tightened with sympathy.

"_She is dead, but not gone. Her memory lives on, in me,"_ she told the sentient ship.

_"Yes, you are right. I knew you were special, my Martha, from the very first time we met. If you need my help with what you have gained, you only have to ask."_

Martha smiled and stroked the wall nearest her, expressing her gratitude wordlessly.

She was so engrossed in her communion with the ship that she did not notice she was being observed.

* * *

**The Doctor**

He had originally come to tell Martha that they needed to make a pit stop in Cardiff for fuel, but when he saw her stroking the wall of the TARDIS he couldn't help himself. He stopped and stared.

He'd thought he was the only one who did that – the only one who had such a close connection with the ship. The people who had travelled with him in the past had known that the ship was alive, and sentient, but he could tell they had taken it on as a fact and not really thought any more of it. They acknowledged how useful it was – translation circuits and whatnot, but they hadn't ever tried to forge a meaningful relationship with her.

But, as with everything, Martha surprised him. She and the TARDIS were close, were friends, by the look of it. Martha had her hand on the wall, and was smiling; she even laughed a couple of times and patted it, before she turned back to her bag. Then, she laughed again as she realised the TARDIS had done all her unpacking for her.

"You're spoiling me you know girl." Martha said aloud, and he felt the rumble from the TARDIS which he knew signified laughter.

Just how many times was this woman going to shock and surprise him? She already surpassed any other human he'd ever known. And, did he ever want her to stop surprising him? She certainly kept him on his toes!

He inched slowly back into the corridor so that she wouldn't hear him and then made a show of making noise as he walked back to her room. He knocked on the open door and waited for her to bid him enter.

"Martha, it's great to be home, isn't it? Well, we need some fuel, so before we go anywhere we're going to need to make a stop." He said, his words running into each other, not giving her a time to speak. He wanted to get going as soon as possible. Standing still for all these months had been torture.

Martha smiled at him and he felt his knees go weak. She didn't appear to notice the effect she was having on him, and nodded.

"'Course. Where are we stopping? I know they don't have outer space petrol stations," she said as she sat on her bed and took her boots off.

The Doctor watched her and wondered why she had been wearing boots to an aerobics class. The he guessed that she probably carried her trainers with her and changed into them there. But then why would – he stopped himself as he realised he was getting side tracked.

"...so I suppose you need to soak up the energy from –"

"Yeah, there's a rift in time and space in Cardiff – of all places, so I just soak it up like you say. Right, so I'll be off to get us under way, remember to hang onto something!" He winked and then shot off back down the corridor.

* * *

**Martha**

Martha was counting her lucky stars that he had been so distracted he hadn't noticed her slip. Though her knowledge wasn't technologically based, her benefactress had learnt enough for Martha to put together what she knew and come up with a theory as to how the ship was powered.

Though, just because he was distracted now, didn't mean the Doctor hadn't heard what she said and wouldn't remember it later. She would have to just try and think up some story between now and whenever he brought it up. She hoped he never did.

She automatically lay back on her bed to ride out the bumps from the TARDIS' flight, deciding that it was infinitely preferable to being thrown around the room.

As she lay there, she thought again about her future and what the consequences of the choice she'd made in 1969 might be.

She concluded, as she had done dozens of times since that night, that what was done, was done. And for better or worse, she would live with her actions. It was her right, after all, to make her own choices, She knew that if she had run the idea past the Doctor before deciding, he would have tried to make the choice for her. As much as he preached about humans having so much potential, and how wonderful they were, he would assume that she was not wise enough to make this decision herself.

He had a habit of treating humans like children, no matter their age. When they did something he was proud of, he acted like a father watching his child perform in the school play. She could understand his reasoning. She could see it from the long view now. But at the same time, she could also see that by assuming responsibility for the actions of his friends, the Doctor was belittling them at the same time. She was almost certain that it would lead to trouble in the future.

She felt a murmur in the back of her mind, and knew then that the TARDIS agreed with her, and was worried for her Doctor.

She reached up to stroke the wall near her soothingly. "We'll be there to help him girl, don't you worry."


	3. Part Three: Utopia

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction story and not written for any financial gain of any kind. All rights to Doctor Who and any associated material belong to the BBC and any other affiliated entities. Thanks.**

* * *

**A/N: This is not my first fanfic, but is my first venture into the Doctor Who fandom. Please feel free to review, all comments are welcome, but please no flames - they are completely pointless and absurd. This is a blatant Super!Martha fic, and is a Martha/10th Doctor romance. Please hit the back button if either of these things offends you. ****Full credit must go to Haleine Delail for her ideas on the Doctor's relationship with Rose which I've used in this chapter.**

**

* * *

**

**This is now the edited version, beta read by the brilliant Persiflage - thanks for all your hard work!**

* * *

**Part Three: **Utopia

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"A sword is never a killer; it is a tool in the killer's hands"

**Seneca**

* * *

**The Doctor**

They had been in flight for a minute or so, when the Doctor saw Martha stumble into the control room. She had to grab a nearby railing as they were thrown around, but she met his grin with her own and lurched unsteadily to join him at the controls.

"Bit of a rough flight, eh?" she said and laughed. They were both thrown to the ground as they landed in Cardiff. Martha sat up and rubbed her back for a moment, and then clambered to her feet. She offered him a hand up, which he accepted graciously, but staggered as she pulled him up with more force than he'd bargained for.

"Those classes of yours must have paid off, Martha Jones. You don't know your own strength!" She laughed and he got started on their refuel. "Should only take about twenty seconds, then we can be off," he said, twisting a couple of dials and then glancing at the display screen. He looked back over to Martha and discovered she had taken a seat on the flight chair. She was looking away from him though, a frown on her face. He wondered if there was anything wrong, but before he could say anything, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.

He looked at the screen and saw something he really wasn't prepared to face. Looking down and seeing that they had enough fuel for two years of flying, he recalibrated the controls, and looked back to Martha. Whatever she had been pondering on she had apparently worked out, because now she was facing him with a look of anticipation.

"Fancy some star fire then Martha?" he asked and she nodded.

"Why not, it would certainly make a change from ugly shoes and sixties wallpaper!" she said, and he was pleasantly surprised that there was no hint of bitterness in her voice. He knew that she wasn't the vindictive type, but he had expected some kind of reprimand for his behaviour while they were trapped.

Either she didn't feel as though she could say anything for fear he would just take her home, or she didn't care enough to say anything. Maybe she didn't feel as close to him as he did to her. That was a thought he really did not want to dwell on.

He wasn't sure if it was deliberate on her part, but as soon as he had thought those words, the TARDIS gave a horrible lurch and knocked him off his feet. Clearly, he would not have the chance to dwell on anything at all just now.

* * *

**Martha**

When she had reached out and hauled the Doctor to his feet, Martha had been surprised how easy it was. In fact, it was much harder not to throw him right over her shoulder, even only using one hand. Clearly, when Lady Silverhair had said she would give Martha her strength, she had meant literally as well as figuratively. What was it the TARDIS had called Lady Silverhair? Oh yes, it was Selûne. She searched her memories for the explanation and discovered that Selûne was the name the people of Abeir-Toril had given Lady Silverhair's moon. They had believed that she was a goddess.

It was an understandable belief really, given their state of development versus the powers she had at her disposal. Though, Martha realised that Lady Silverhair had been the 'avatar' of Selûne, and had lived on Abeir-Toril in the form of an elf. That was why she had been able to have children with Gannayev. It was only when she left her home planet, and embraced the power which came with her heritage, that she left her flesh behind. That was why she needed Martha; she could no longer birth offspring.

Satisfied that now she was aware of the issue she would be able to control it, Martha turned back to smile at the Doctor. He was looking away, engrossed in something with the TARDIS controls. Martha was glad he had put it down to her exercise classes, but was worried about another slip.

After all, one or two oddities could be dismissed or explained away, but a pile of oddities surrounding her might give him cause for suspicion.

The Doctor was looking at her now, and when he asked if she wanted to go see some star fire, Martha was pleased that everything seemed fine between them. She made a crack about living in the sixties, _(the wallpaper had been truly hideous)_, and off they went.

Or at least, she thought that they were on their way to the star fire, but when the turbulence started to get even more violent, she knew something was wrong.

The Doctor was yelling about the year one hundred trillion, but Martha couldn't really take it in. She was thrown against a barrier, out of his line of sight luckily, since when she turned to look at it, she had dented it. She felt no pain, so she had not damaged herself. A little fear worked its way into her mind. Was she going to have to be careful about who she hugged, in case she squeezed the life out of them?

She stopped herself from panicking by resolving to meditate on the issue as soon as she was at liberty. In the meantime, she would just be extra careful.

The TARDIS was suddenly silent and still. The Doctor rose to his feet and looked up. "We've landed," he said softly.

"What do you think is out there?" she asked. Selûne had never been this far into the future.

"I don't know," replied the Doctor.

Martha was surprised. "Say that again, that's rare for you."

"Not even the Time Lords came this far. We should leave. We should go... we should really, really... go..." His eyes slanted towards hers. They were still for a moment, and then broke out into identical grins. Both of them raced to the door, wanting to be the first to see what was out there.

They looked around carefully and then stepped out of the TARDIS. The Doctor was shrugging his coat on and scanning the horizon. Martha looked to the left and noticed a man lying on the ground.

"Oh my God!" she shouted, racing over to him. Her hand started to glow as she laid it on his chest. She panicked, and instinctively sucked the power back into her centre. By the time the Doctor joined her, it had stopped glowing.

"I can't get a pulse," she shouted over her shoulder. "Hold on, you've got that medical kit thing," she said and raced off towards the TARDIS, all the while mentally reminding herself that she _had to be more careful!_

* * *

**The Doctor**

"Hello again," The Doctor said as he looked down on the prone form of Captain Jack Harkness. The Doctor had a severe frown on his face. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said, looking away.

Just at that moment, Martha came running back out of the TARDIS with the aforementioned kit, shoving him out of the way.

"It's a bid odd, not very year one hundred trillion though, that coat looks more like World War Two," she noted.

"I think he came with us, from Earth." the Doctor told her, finding it very hard to even look at Jack. "He must have been clinging to the outside of the TARDIS, all the way through the vortex. That's very him."

"What, do you know him?" Martha questioned as she attended Jack. The Doctor couldn't admiring her for doing her best to help someone she didn't even know. Martha was born to be a doctor.

"Friend, of mine, used to travel with me, back in the old days," the Doctor muttered, hating the effect his words had on Martha. It was just like when Rose had met Sarah-Jane, though her face held sadness at Jack's apparent death.

"But he's, I'm sorry, there's no heartbeat. He's dead," Martha said consolingly, before screaming as Jack took a huge breath and lunged forward. He grasped Martha's forearms and slowly his breathing became calmer.

"Hold on, just breathe deeply, I've got you," Martha was saying.

Jack noticed who he was holding on to, and his eyes twinkled at the sight of such a beautiful woman. "Captain Jack Harkness," he introduced himself, "and who are you?" he asked, catching Martha's chin with one hand. Martha told him her name, and the Doctor couldn't help the intense surge of jealousy which spiked violently through him.

"Oh don't start!" he shouted, rolling his eyes and huffing a little.

"I was only saying hello," Jack defended, and Martha assured both of them that she didn't mind. Then Jack got to his feet and stared hard at him. The Doctor braced himself for whatever accusation or recrimination the man had to throw at him. After all, though he had his reasons, the Doctor _had _abandoned him on the Games Station.

"Doctor."

"Captain."

"Good to see you."

"And you. Same as ever. Although, have you had work done?"

"You can talk!"

The Doctor was confused for a moment, "Oh yes, the face. Regeneration. How did you know this was me?" He wondered.

* * *

**Martha**

Talk of regeneration would have confused Martha at one time, but not any more. She knew what a Time Lord really was and how they could 'cheat' death. She guessed that Jack must have met the Doctor when he was in a previous form. Though, the Doctor didn't know that she knew. Just when was he planning to tell her? In his defence, he had been on the verge of telling her when he'd been possessed by that sun, and likely would have told her everything if she had not stopped him.

"The police box kind of gives it away. I've been following you for a long time. You abandoned me." It seemed to Martha that this was a recurring theme with the Doctor.

"Did I? Busy life, move on." The Doctor replied coldly and Martha felt like slapping him. Here was a man who apparently couldn't die, someone who could be with the Doctor as long as he wanted. They were apparently friends at one time, so why didn't the Doctor want him around?

She noticed that the two of them were talking about Canary Wharf, and tuned out their conversation. She took a longer look at Jack, at the energy around him, and then she touched the presence in the back of her mind which connected her to the TARDIS.

_"He is wrong. He is fixed. Take him away from me!"_ The TARDIS wailed to her, and Martha decided it would be better to let her be. She sent soothing emotions to her, and let their connection fall back to its normal passive state.

"...Parallel world. And Mickey, and her mother!" The Doctor was saying happily.

"Oh yes!" Jack declared and launched himself at the Doctor to hug him. Martha surmised that they must have been talking about Rose. Martha guessed that Jack must have know Rose as well, hence why he had been asking about her. She felt sorry for this man. Yes, the TARDIS was afraid of him for some reason, but he had been separated from Rose and the Doctor. Life must have been hard for him.

They started walking, and Jack began to tell Martha his story. "So there I was, stranded in the year 200,100, ankle deep in Dalek dust, and _he _goes off without me," he said, indicating the Doctor who was walking a few paces in front of them. "But, I had this," Jack continued, showing her something attached to his wrist.

With her benefactress ignorance on technology, Martha was keen to learn all she could about it. "I used to be a Time Agent," Jack told her. "It's called a vortex manipulator. He's not the only one who can time travel," Jack said smugly and Martha smiled.

She used to think that the Doctor was the pinnacle of everything wonderful in the universe, but she now knew that though that was true in many ways, there was an awful lot more out there. For example, both the Doctor and this new guy needed machines to help them travel in time and space, yet Martha knew that with enough practice, she would be able to do it by will alone.

Just goes to show that men always have to make things overly complicated, and it's only women who get the job done competently, she thought to herself. She could feel amusement coming from the TARDIS, who had a definite feminine personality, and laughed along with her.

"Oh excuse me! That," the Doctor pointed to Jack's manipulator, "Is not time travel, it's like, I've got a sports car, and you've got a space hopper."

"Oh, ho, ho! Boys and their toys," Martha said, mentally thanking them for proving her point.

"Alright, so I bounced," Jack conceded. "I thought, twenty first century, the best place to find the Doctor, except that I got it a little wrong, arrived in 1869, this thing burnt out so it was useless.

"Told you," the Doctor interjected.

"I had to live through the entire twentieth century waiting for a version of you that would coincide with me."

"But that makes you over a hundred years old," Martha said; having made the decision to keep up the pretence she was ignorant, she was finding the execution of it somewhat tedious. So what if Jack was over a hundred years old, big deal! The Doctor was over nine hundred, and Lady Silverhair had been thousands of years old when she died.

But, Martha before her upload, _(as she was mentally calling it)_, had been a human who would find all this incredible. If she didn't say anything and just took it all in her stride, the Doctor would get suspicious.

"And looking good, don't you think? So, I went to the time rift, based myself there, because I knew you'd come back to refuel. Until finally, I get a signal detected on this and here we are."

"But the thing is, how come you left him behind Doctor?" Martha asked, wanting him to confront this issue.

"I was busy," The Doctor hedged, but she pressed on.

"Is that what happens though, seriously? You just get bored of us one day and disappear." She indicated herself and Jack.

"Not if you're blonde," Jack deadpanned.

"Oh, she was blonde!" Martha said, "What a surprise!"

The Doctor had clearly had enough at this point and turned on them.

"You two, we're at the end of the universe, alright? At the edge of knowledge itself, and you're busy... blogging," he spat and Martha glared at him. He was being insensitive again. Though she wondered if it wasn't just another one of his defence mechanisms. He didn't confront the issue because it was too hard to admit.

Boy, Martha was glad she now had an alternative and that she didn't depend on him the way she used to. If she did, then she would be feeling pretty crap right now.

"Come on," the Doctor muttered and moved towards a nearby precipice. Martha looked down on the construction below with wonder. She, or rather, Lady Silverhair, had seen something similar before. In fact, rather than a city it looked more like –

"A city or a hive," the Doctor said, stealing the word right out of Martha's mouth, figuratively speaking. "Or a nest, or a conglomeration," the Doctor continued.

He pointed out that the blackness in the sky wasn't just night, the stars had all burnt out, and faded to nothing.

Just like the sun of Abeir-Toril, Martha said to herself. The Doctor was right, time killed everything. Jack commented that the planet must have an atmospheric shell, or they would have frozen to death by now. The Doctor said that he and Martha might, but he wasn't so sure about Jack. Martha knew at that point, that whatever the TARDIS thought was wrong about Jack, the Doctor thought it too.

Perhaps he hadn't abandoned Jack because he got 'bored' of him; she was sure now that there must have been another reason.

* * *

**The Doctor**

The Doctor was mentally cursing himself and Jack for everything their reunion had brought out into the open. The fact that he had had supposedly abandoned Jack, though inside he knew he had run away from him, was undoubtedly worrying Martha. And then Jack had to go and make that wisecrack about blondes

He hadn't meant to be so harsh with them, especially not Martha. She deserved so much more from him. He wanted to give her so much more, but he was scared. He sighed to himself, when would he stop being scared and just grab what was right in front of him?

"But what about the people, does no one survive?" Martha asked and he loved her for that. For caring.

"We have to hope, I suppose, that life will find a way," he told her. Jack pointed to the ground below them.

"Well, he doesn't seem to be doing too badly!" He said and the Doctor grew concerned. There was a man who looked like he was fleeing for his life and a rabid group with torches close on his heels.

"Is it me, or does that look like a hunt?"

* * *

**Martha**

They had caught up with the man, and he had led them to their current location, The Silo. It was a haven of sorts, for humans. Apparently the people there were waiting for a rocket to be ready to take them somewhere they called 'Utopia'.

In the meantime, the Doctor had persuaded one of the guards who was due to go out on a last water collection to try and retrieve the TARDIS. They had been cut off from her when they were chased by the savage people who were known as the Futurekind.

They were currently following the man they'd seen running and a child who were looking for the man's family. The Doctor was waxing on about how hardy the human race was. 'Indomitable', was the word he used.

They were witnesses to the reunion of the man and his family. It warmed Martha's heart to see it. "It's not all bad news," she said with a smile. Jack was greeting a good looking man, but the Doctor warned him off and asked for his help in trying to open a nearby door.

Martha, with nothing better to do just then, wandered over. She was wondering if she would have been able to force it open herself, but shied away from the idea, wary of giving into temptation. She had to learn control; she could not just unleash her powers with no restraint. Particularly in such close quarters, the people were packed in so tightly, it was like a refugee camp. She would not allow herself to hurt anyone, so she would be patient, she would wait.

Behind the door was a giant, rocket, and Jack had to pull the Doctor back in before he fell. They were puzzling about the rocket's intended destination, 'Utopia', when an old gentleman, Professor Yana, approached them, looking for the Doctor. Apparently, he needed help to get the rocket working. Unfortunately, the Doctor claimed he had never seen a system like it and didn't know how to help.

Martha found his spare hand in Jack's bag, which sparked off the explanation about his sword fight with the Sycorax on Christmas Day, and how he had grown a new hand. When he told the Professor he was a Time Lord, and then the man had never heard of them, the Doctor seemed quite humbled. Martha thought it would be a good experience for him to eat some humble pie for a change. Chantho, the Professor's assistant, told them she was the last of her kind, and that this had been her home planet.

While the Professor and the Doctor were talking about Utopia, Martha went into her mind and tried to contact the TARDIS. She was worried about her, stuck out there, even though she knew the old girl could survive anything. Once the TARDIS had reassured her everything was fine, Martha tried to centre herself.

She had felt herself coming apart a little. She had been a tad snappy, and didn't like it. She wondered for a moment if she was due on, and that was why she was so short tempered. Or if she wasn't, was it some kind of side effect of her upload? She hoped not.

During her contemplation, the Doctor fixed the footprint system the Professor had been working on and suddenly it was all systems go.

From that point on, Martha only paid attention to the proceedings with a small part of her mind. She acted on autopilot, doing what she was told. She was trying to gain more control, mentally, of her power. She didn't know what had sparked this sudden urgency she felt, but her instincts had never let her down in the past, so now was no time to assume they would.

When the TARDIS was brought in, she almost wept with relief. She opened their connection as wide as it would go, and conveyed her worries to the ship. A part of her was wondering why the Doctor did not appear to have sensed that anything had changed between Martha and the TARDIS, but the ship told her she was purposefully blocking the information on just how completely connected the two of them were from him. Now was not the time for him to know, she told Martha.

They worked in the silence of Martha's mind, focusing on honing her talent to direct her will without words. It was only a small part of all she had to learn, but both agreed it would be the most useful. It was like the thing with the candles, only taken several steps forward. What they were aiming for, was for Martha to be able to look at something she wanted done, and push her power out to make it happen. The TARDIS warned that it would be very tiring to begin with, until she had practised more.

"It's all a part of the learning process." Martha told the ship, and carried on working.

When the power was cut, and Jack was zapped by some cables, Martha was still only listening with half an ear. She was glad when the Doctor left with Jack, she couldn't run the risk of him noticing anything was off with her.

* * *

**The Doctor**

The Doctor _had_ noticed that something was off with Martha, but he had wrongly assumed it was something to do with him. He thought it was because of his earlier conversation with Jack about Rose, and how he had left the Captain behind. He thought she was wondering just when he would tire of her, and where he would leave her.

The Doctor couldn't ever imagine getting tired of Martha; he never wanted her to leave him. He knew he couldn't keep her though, and that was eating away at him.

Then there was that thing with his hand, and he again wrongly, assumed that the fact he could grow a new hand after his was cut off disgusted Martha, that it was a step too far for her. He thought she was being so distant because she remembered that they were a different species and she didn't like it.

He was glad that he got a chance to clear the air with Jack though. After he admitted that he'd run away from the immortal man, he felt purged. He felt calmer.

As he spoke of Rose and what she had done, he knew that Martha was at the other end of the communication system and heard every word. But what was he supposed to do? Lie? No, never, not to Martha. He wouldn't pretend that Rose hadn't been a huge part of his life, because she had been.

What he should have done, was told Martha the rest. That he'd looked on Rose as a troubled child. Not all the time of course, but that he hadn't taken it any further, it had never been physical, because he would have felt like a randy teacher ravishing his pupil.

With Martha, he didn't feel like that. She was a grown woman who knew her own mind, and while she had been in awe of him at first she was not afraid to challenge him – she proved that in New New York when she refused to leave until he admitted the truth.

But he hadn't told her these things and he – gods damn it, he was bloody well going to tell her! He would, just as soon as they got out of this blasted mess. Once those people were on their way and they were back in the TARDIS he would tell her everything, he would.

Glad he had made a decision, he focused on the task at hand.

* * *

**Martha**

Listening to the Doctor and Jack discuss Rose had been a lot easier than she thought it would be. She found herself smiling in admiration for what Rose had done. There weren't many out there who could gain the power of life and death, and use it in the way Rose had. Just as the Doctor said, if a Time Lord had gained that power he would have become a vengeful god.

Martha mentally took her hat off to Rose Tyler, and applauded her for being a fellow stalwart human. She was glad too, that the Doctor mentioned the need for control, it reaffirmed to her that she was doing the right thing by working with the TARDIS and taking small steps. Rose had had the power of the Time Vortex taken from her, but Martha's power would be staying with her until the day she died. It could not be drawn out or absorbed, she didn't think she would even be able to pass it on the way Lady Silverhair had.

Though, in fairness, that was likely because she didn't want to pass it on. In the future maybe, when her time came. She turned to Chantho and smiled when Jack made a comment about the Doctor's new regeneration being kind of cheeky, and saw the Professor out of the corner of her eye. He appeared to be in distress.

The TARDIS roared to life in Martha's mind as she looked at Professor Yana, and kept repeating, "_Danger, danger, danger"_ When Martha saw the watch in his hands, she knew.

The man was a Time Lord, in human form. She remembered the Doctor saying in 1913 that the watch produced a low level psychic field. She guessed that the TARDIS was picking up on it, and was frightened. Thus whichever Time Lord this was, it wasn't one of the good ones.

Before her upload, Martha might have run to the Doctor, it was the logical thing to do. She could tell him about the watch without Professor Yana hearing about it. But she could see the folly in that plan now. If the watch remained in Professor Yana's hands, it would speak to him, the same way the Doctor's watch had spoken to Tim Latimer.

"Can I take a look, Professor? Maybe I can get it open for you?" Martha said, all the while, focussing her will on the perception filter and widening its field. She felt herself growing tired as she worked, but ignored it. As the watch's influence on him waned, the Professor's distress went with it. He handed it over to her without a glance and she promptly placed it in her pocket. She wasn't done yet, however.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, seemingly offering comfort, and with the TARDIS' help, manipulated the sleep centre of his brain.

"I think you should rest, Professor. Chantho, will you look after him? I'm going to see if the Doctor and Jack need any help." She said all this in an even tone, giving neither of them a reason to be suspicious of her motives. She could feel the approval of the TARDIS in her mind, as the ship stopped calling out the danger, and returned to the familiar hum.

She walked slowly towards where she knew the boys to be, she wanted to think. Should she tell the Doctor what she had found? Did she have any right to keep it from him? Suddenly, she knew the answer. If she made the decision to hide it, it would be just as bad as if she had told him about Lady Silverhair and he had decided it was too risky for her. It was his people, he had a right to know and it was up to him to make his own choice about this.

All she could do, was support him along the way.


	4. Part Four: The Last of the Time Lords

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction story and not written for any financial gain of any kind. All rights to Doctor Who and any associated material belong to the BBC and any other affiliated entities. Thanks.**

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**A/N: This is not my first fanfic, but is my first venture into the Doctor Who fandom. Please feel free to review, all comments are welcome, but please no flames - they are completely pointless and absurd. This is a blatant Super!Martha fic, and is a Martha/10th Doctor romance. Please hit the back button if either of these things offends you. **

**Warning: This is where we really begin to deviate from canon.**

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**This is now the edited version, beta read by the brilliant Persiflage - thanks for all your hard work!**

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**Part Four**: Last of the Time Lords

* * *

"There is no great genius without some touch of madness."

**Seneca**

* * *

**Martha**

"It was beautiful; they used to call it the shining world of the seven systems. And on the continent of Wild Endeavour, in the mountains of Solace and Solitude, there stood the Citadel of the Time Lords – the oldest and most mighty race in the universe, looking down on the galaxies below, sworn never to interfere, only to watch. Children of Gallifrey are taken from their families at the age of eight to enter the Academy. Some say that's where it all began, when he was a child. That's when the Master saw eternity. As a novice he was taken for initiation in front of the Un-tempered Schism, it's a gap in the fabric of reality through which can be seen the whole of the vortex. You stand there, at eight years old, staring at the raw power of time and space, just a child. Some would be inspired, some would run away, and some would go mad."

As the Doctor spoke of his memories, in a way Martha had rarely heard him speak, she could feel his pain and longing. She could also feel how he felt as a child, standing in front of the Schism.

They were standing over the body of Professor Yana.

She had taken the watch to the Doctor, and handed it to him, without speaking. He had been more than taken aback; he had been catatonic for what felt like hours.

He couldn't believe it, not at first, then he realised, it would be foolish not to. Another Time Lord. The last words of the Face of Boe came to her and the Doctor at almost the same time. "**_Y_**_ou **A**re **N**ot **A**lone"_. The Face of Boe had taken the Professor's name and used it as an anagram for the Doctor.

Just for a second, she wondered why he hadn't just told the Doctor outright. She supposed it was because the Face of Boe must have been a time traveller as well, and knew beforehand how the events of today would play out. Paradoxes, again. Wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey, again.

The Doctor had connected to the psychic field of the watch and he knew who was inside. A look passed his face, just a flash, that she would have missed if she hadn't been looking right at him, where the terror she had felt from the TARDIS was reflected in his eyes. Then, he looked hopeful.

Martha had drawn him out, made him speak about just who was in the watch.

What she had forgotten, what all of them had forgotten, was that the communications link between them and the Professor's lab was still open. Though she had put the Professor to sleep, Chantho could still hear them. She thought the Professor had a right to know what they were saying about his watch and had woken him. Since Martha had not set him to sleep for a specific amount of time, something she didn't know she could do, the Professor woke and heard every single word.

He heard about how the Master had gone mad. The people he had killed, the destruction he left in his wake. Despite all that, the Doctor still wanted to bring him back. Who could blame him for that? He believed that he could control the Master, stop him from repeating his past mistakes.

He had run back and forth in the corridor, making plans, getting excited, and all Martha could do was look at him with pity. She knew the Doctor wouldn't be able to do any of the things he was proposing. She knew that he was just grasping at straws, clinging to a remnant of a past he longed for, but could never regain.

The Professor heard everything.

He knew the horrors his other self had perpetuated, and it terrified him. He knew there was much to gain, but he also knew the cost. He decided he did not want the universe to pay that cost. He kept a gun in his lab, in order to protect himself and Chantho, should the Futurekind ever get that far into The Silo.

He had hoped to God he would never have to use it. But with the rocket launched his work was done. He had raised the gun, the drums still pounding in his head, almost as if they were trying to stop him, and then he pulled the trigger.

She, the Doctor and Jack had heard the shot through the communications system which they had only just remembered, and the Doctor screamed. She knew that he had realised, at that moment, just what Professor Yana had done, and why. He ran to the lab, Martha and Jack right behind him. He rushed to the Professor's body and pulled it into his arms.

Despite her misgivings, Martha joined him and tried to get him to let her examine the body, to see if there was anything she could do. His head was a mess; the bullet had penetrated through his brain and exited on the opposite side. The Doctor was reluctant to release the grip he had on the old man, but Martha still managed to scan the body with her new power.

Unfortunately, there was still nothing she could do; there was just too much damage. Martha admitted privately to herself that she was relieved about that, and though that made her feel bad, she could not help what she felt. She had stepped back, allowing the Doctor his grief, and she turned to see Jack comforting a devastated Chantho.

That was when the Doctor explained about the Master, and just how he had been driven mad during his initiation at the Untempered Schism.

Martha was worried for a moment that he would turn on Chantho, since she had been the one to alert the professor to their discussion, but he didn't and she felt bad again, for thinking him capable of such a thing.

"What about you?" she asked, wondering what his own initiation had been like.

"Hmm?" he said absently, before he finally released the professor's body and sat back on his heels. "Oh," he said as if he only just heard her question, "the ones that run away. I never stopped."

She stood thinking about that for second or two, before she nodded and knelt down next to him. "Doctor, we should leave. We can bring him with us, give him a funeral," she said softly, placing a hand on his back as he shook his head, rocking back and forth like a child.

"Why did he do it, Martha? Why? Why couldn't I stop him? I should have... why didn't he just talk to me?" he wailed and she saw red for a moment. There he goes again, she seethed, thinking that everything is up to him! She knew snapping at him wouldn't help so she swallowed the retort which had been on her tongue.

"He made his choice. It was his life, and he _chose_ to end it. He _chose_ not to become the Master. It is up to us to honour his choice, and his life. Whys and what ifs aren't going to do any of us any good. Doctor, look at me," She took his face in her hands and turned it towards her, "A good man died today. And yeah, in an ideal world, he might not have died. But you and I both know this isn't an ideal world, and things go wrong – people die. But the Professor made his decision, it was his life to do with as he pleased, and you must abide by it. Do you understand?" she asked, staring deep into his eyes, standing firm, though she could feel her own were brimming with tears.

He had been such a sweet old man, and his death was truly a waste. But Martha knew, deep down, he had wanted to go. He did it to protect the people he had been working so hard to save.

"Martha Jones," the Doctor murmured, "When did you get so wise?" he asked, before leaning and placing a gentle kiss on her lips. It was barely a brush, like the flutter of a butterfly's wings, but it was a fact, and it was something new. He tucked his head into her neck and wept. She held him, intending on some level to never let him go.

She met Jack's eyes as he watched them, hoping that he wouldn't disapprove. She needn't have worried, however, because he was smiling warmly at her. He mouthed a 'thank-you' to her, most likely meaning thank you for looking after the Doctor.

Later, when the Doctor was outside with Chantho, building a pyre for the Professor, Jack came to speak with her.

"You're good for him, you know?" he said, and she smiled shyly. "You are, he needs someone, but not just anyone. He needs someone strong, someone who knows her own mind and is willing to stand up to him. Someone like you, Martha Jones," he said, and gave her a hug.

Martha took a deep breath, and then burst into tears.

All the pain and the anguish of the last six months just flowed out of her in a torrent of sobs. Worry for the Doctor, for herself, grief for the Professor, the pain at watching Lady Silverhair pass, her inherited memories and all the loss they brought with them, it all came out. When she was finished, she sniffed and then felt mortified for soaking his shirt.

He didn't complain though, he just smiled and sat back. Martha did the same, but her eyes were drawn to the door of their own accord. The Doctor was there, watching them, an inscrutable look on his face.

* * *

**The Doctor**

As he watched Martha crying on Jack's shoulder, the Doctor wasn't sure what he was thinking and feeling just then. Today had been so fraught with emotion, that he'd not had time to sit and take stock of all that had happened. They'd just bounced from one thing to the next. That did seem to happen a lot to him, but not like today. Not like finding a remnant of his people, and not just a remnant, but the consciousness of one of his own kind.

And it just _had_ to be the Master.

They'd been friends, at one time. He'd actually thought the Master had died long before the end of the Time War. He figured the other Time Lords must have resurrected him; they probably wanted him to fight, just like they had wanted the Doctor to. He wondered whether the Master might have been given the task he'd ended up with. No way to know now.

He pulled the watch from his pocket, ignoring its whispers, and looked at it for a long moment, before replacing it in his pocket. He would take it to the TARDIS and leave it on a shelf somewhere, to remain there, forever. Maybe one day he might... no. He would honour the choice of Professor Yana, just like Martha said; he wouldn't take the choice away from him.

The storm of Martha's tears seemed to be subsiding, and the Doctor was glad for that. He would have liked to have been the one she turned to, his selfish side wanted to be the only one she counted on, it was silly, but there it was.

Even so, Jack had been there, and Jack had helped her. That was all there was to it.

His mind went back to that kiss he'd given her. It wasn't the first time he'd kissed Martha, though he'd always claimed the one in the Royal Hope was just a genetic transfer, he knew there were other ways to accomplish that which were just as easy and didn't involve kissing. But, he was a man, and when faced with a beautiful woman he gave into temptation and kissed her.

This time though, he had no easy excuse. Yes, it had been solace, it had been comfort, but it had also been that he'd got to a point where he just had to kiss her. He couldn't not kiss her. She'd been so wonderful, only getting more amazing every day and he just had to acknowledge all he felt for her. Since she hadn't pushed him away in disgust or slapped him, he was hoping she might requite his feelings. There was only one way to tell really. Now that the crisis was over, he would be making good on his plans to tell her just how fantastic he thought she was, and to thank her for everything she'd done so far.

And maybe she... maybe they could... well, who knew what might happen? He only knew one thing for sure; he wanted to be with her. Forever, if he could, but he would take whatever was possible and be happy.

* * *

**Martha**

She wasn't entirely sure what that look on his face was about, but the longer she looked at him, the more his expression changed until he was actually smiling at her. His eyes were shining with hope and something else, something she couldn't identify. But she was so happy to see his smile that she didn't bother trying to interpret the rest of his look.

She hated to remind him of what still had to be done, but she would be doing him no favours by pretending a tragedy hadn't occurred.

"Are we ready to begin then?" she asked and the Doctor nodded solemnly. She and Jack got up out of their seats and crossed the room to stand with him. Jack clasped his shoulder briefly, before heading out into the corridor, while Martha hugged the Doctor firmly, and then took his hand.

It was like that, walking hand in hand, that they made their way outside, to the pyre on which rested the body of the Professor. Hand in hand still, they lit the pyre and watched it slowly burn.

* * *

They'd found Chantho a home on another planet. Martha wasn't sure how things were going to go for the woman, but was encouraged by the determination she had to make a life of her own. Martha wished her well, before stepping back into the TARDIS, its next destination being Cardiff in the twenty first century.

Jack had surprised them by telling them his nickname had been the Face of Boe when he'd been the first to join the Time Agency from his home world. Though both Martha and the Doctor agreed that it just had to be a coincidence, they both inwardly believed that it was probably true. It would be like him, Martha thought.

Next, they had gone to Martha's mum's house for a visit, and as she walked out of the TARDIS, the Doctor had given her a look as though he expected her to come back and say she wasn't going to be with him anymore. She had simply rolled her eyes at him and poked him in the stomach, "Don't be silly," she admonished, and he chuckled.

When she did step back in, he just smiled in such a way that she felt herself falling for him all over again. Before she knew what was happening he had strode over, shut the door behind her, and then swept her up into his arms. His lips were on hers in a heartbeat and she deepened the kiss without much conscious thought.

The Doctor groaned into her mouth and held her tighter. She didn't know how long they had been kissing, but when he did finally relinquish his hold on her, she felt somewhat starry eyed.

"Where did that come from?" she asked, breathless. The Doctor pulled her into another hug and laughed. He led her over to the seats near the control and suddenly his tone was serious.

* * *

**The Doctor**

"Go,d Martha, I've been such a fool. I was so scared of getting hurt, of losing you, I kept you at arm's length all this time. I'm such an idiot, I," he paused and looked into her eyes. He couldn't resist cradling her face in one hand. She was so lovely. Her outer beauty was only outshone by her inner beauty. He was the luckiest man in the universe to have this woman by his side. And it was high time he told her so.

"You are just so wonderful. Every day you get even more beautiful, you, you surprise me and challenge me. I, just when I think there's nothing you can do that will top the last thing, you go and blow my mind again. I should have told you every day how special you are, but I never did. I was a coward. And I'm sorry, you've suffered, because of me. I've used you and hurt you, and I'm so sorry. Really, really sorry. Can you forgive me?" he asked and searched her eyes for any hint of her feelings.

She leaned into his hand, turned her head and kissed his palm. In that moment, he knew he was forgiven. More than that, he realised how completely in love he was. But there was no need to worry – because he could see her love for him in return, it was right there in her eyes.

* * *

**Martha**

"I love you," he said simply, and Martha felt as though she was flying.

"I love you too," she replied, basking in the complete wonder of this moment. And then something occurred to her, and she felt guilty.

Lady Silverhair.

She had to tell him, it wasn't right keeping this secret. More than that, she didn't _want_ to keep it secret any more.

So she told him everything. How she'd met Selûne's avatar. Their conversation, her offer, and Martha's acceptance. How the knowledge had helped her understand the Doctor. What she'd really been doing during those supposed exercise classes. How she had worked with the TARDIS, to learn control, so she wouldn't hurt anyone. What she'd done to the Professor, to buy them some time. And all throughout her explanation, the Doctor didn't interrupt.

His eyes widened a few times, and his brows kept rising higher, but he let her speak.

When she was finished, he was silent. She hoped it was because he was trying to process it all, and not so angry that he couldn't speak.

"Wow," he said after a moment. "I mean, really, wow. Once upon a time, I might have been angry with you. And I'm a little annoyed, that you did it without me. And I guess it hurts a bit too, but, well, these last few days I, well, I've had to re-evaluate my outlook on several things. I would have preferred that you'd told me beforehand, just so that we could make sure it wasn't dangerous, but then, if I try to protect you from everything I may as well lock you in a room full of cotton wool. I, I'm an old fool sometimes Martha, it's going to take me a while to get used to you doing your own thing, but, oh, I don't know. Let me just say, it's going to take a bit of getting used to, but I'm happy you told me, and I'm happy that you and the TARDIS are getting on so well."

He had been holding her hands throughout his long speech and massaging them with his own. She could tell he was being completely honest, and frankly it was a much better reaction than she'd ever imagined.

They were quiet for a moment as they looked into each other's eyes, then, "So you're what, part celestial now? That's a new one. Do you have wings then? Did she have wings? I've always wanted wings, mmphm!" She stopped him before he really got a chance to get going, by stopping his mouth with hers.

She was just so pleased there was no anger, no scolding that she couldn't help herself. When they finished he smiled joyfully at her. There was a pause and then, "So, wings?"

Martha rolled her eyes and shut him up again, the same way she had before. Part of her was suspicious that he had done it on purpose. Then again, knowing the Doctor, he wanted her to kiss him and he wanted an answer as well.

Silly man.


	5. Part Five: Voyage of the Damned

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction story and not written for any financial gain of any kind. All rights to Doctor Who and any associated material belong to the BBC and any other affiliated entities. Thanks. Also, the story of Lady Silverhair comes from Neverwinter Nights 2, which is the property of Atari, Obsidian, Wizards of the Coast and any other involved parties.**

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**A/N: OK, if you've read this far you know that this is a blatant Super!Martha fic, nd is a Martha/10th Doctor romance. Please hit the back button if either of these things offends you. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, it means a lot to me. Thank you also to Haleine Delail for being a source of great inspiration and great stories!**

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**This is now the edited version, beta read by the brilliant Persiflage - thanks for all your hard work!**

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**Part Five:** Voyage of the Damned

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"Time heals what reason cannot"

**Seneca**

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* * *

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**Martha**

She and the Doctor had agreed that even though they had admitted their feelings for each other, they did not want to just jump into bed together. They wanted to explore what their new relationship had to offer, and of course they wanted to explore each other, but they did not want to rush.

With this in mind, they had decided to begin like a lot of other couples did – by going on dates. Some of the places they had been could be considered dates, if you squinted, but the intention to be out together, as an item, had not been there, and thus those times did not count.

Martha had not been able to wheedle her way out of a full medical, however, and the Doctor had hassled her into the Med Bay within minutes of satisfying himself on the subject of wings. Martha didn't know if she had them and didn't care either. He'd done every test available to him and as far as he could tell, she was fine. She was a tad more Celestial than human, it wasn't quite half and half. More like two thirds celestial and one third human. He had been worried that Lady Silverhair might have hidden her consciousness somewhere in Martha during their exchange, and that she was biding her time before taking over Martha's body.

With the help of the TARDIS, they managed to rule this out as a possibility. She hadn't been angry with the Doctor for suggesting it, she admitted that the thought had crossed her mind, but only after the process was complete.

She _had _expected a comment about being a stupid ape, but it never came. Whether he thought it but didn't speak it, well, that was his business. She didn't mind. He was proving how much he cared and how much he supported her by going to all this trouble to make sure she was alright.

Unfortunately, as they had been preparing to visit Eye of Orion, the Doctor having chosen it as the best place to start anew with Martha, something went wrong with their shielding and a huge vessel crashed into the side of the TARDIS.

Chaos ensued pretty much from then on.

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* * *

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The Doctor managed to fix the TARDIS without batting an eyelid, but was obviously deeply disturbed by the name of the ship, and well he should be, Martha thought, considering it was the bloody _Titanic_. Seriously, after what happened to the last one, who would be bonkers enough to name a ship _Titanic_?

The Doctor landed the TARDIS inside the ship which had crashed into them, and popped his head out the door for a moment. "Looks like a party! Martha, get your glad rags on!" he said with a grin, and she nodded once, before running off to her room.

When she got there, she did a quick turn under the automatic washer. She didn't usually use it, she preferred a proper shower, with water, but with limited time – needs must. When she was finished, she went to her wardrobe and flung the doors open. Excitement was bubbling up inside her, despite the ominously named ship they were parked in, and she flicked through her clothes.

She didn't really have anything she wanted to wear. She had a little black number which would be appropriate, but when she pulled it out to look at it, it just didn't seem right.

"_Let me help you, my Martha,_" Said the voice of the ship she loved so much. Patting a nearby wall affectionately Martha laid the dress out on her bed and opened her mind.

Doing as instructed, she ran one hand down the front of the dress and marvelled as it was transformed. It went from a boring, strapless black dress to a bandeau dress with pleated detail on the body. The pleating was in a chiffon like overlay, and the colour was a sort of mauve. She thought she had seen something like it for sale at Topshop, and they had called the colour 'wine'. Whatever colour it was, it went wonderfully with her dark skin and she felt amazing in it.

When she arrived back at the control room, or the 'bridge' as she'd begun to think of it, the Doctor was already there, leaning against the railing, right where she'd dented it. He was dressed in a black tuxedo and looked fantastic.

* * *

**The Doctor**

"Sorry I dented your pole." The voice of his... partner? Girlfriend? Lover? Companion? Significant other? Better half? Anyway, Martha's voice made him jump and then frown.

"Come again?" he asked, and she pointed to dent in the railing next to where he was standing. "Oh, how did that happen?" he asked, bending down to examine it.

"Um, that's my fault. See, I didn't know that I'd got strong and all that, so when the TARDIS sent me flying, I sort of bashed it. It came off worse than me. Sorry," she said, looking down at her feet.

"Ha! Like Superman leaving a hand shaped dent on the front of the lorry which nearly knocked him down. Brilliant, I love it! I will keep it there as a memento, it can be your trophy if you like I –" The Doctor had got to his feet as he was talking and only now got his first good look at Martha in her dress.

He gulped, by the Nine Hells, she was to die for. He shivered as he imagined going over and carrying her off to his bed right now. He pictured peeling that dress off her, he imagined what her beautiful skin underneath would look like, feel like, smell like and _taste _like. He gulped again.

"You, you look beautiful – I mean, that dress is great, you look so... gorgeous." He was almost gushing. He _loathed_ people who gushed. But he couldn't help himself. He would be walking into that party with a _goddess_ on his arm.

"Shall we?" He offered said arm to her and smiled.

"We shall," she confirmed, taking his arm and walking down the gangway with him. "Oh, and thanks. For the compliment, I mean. And you look exceedingly handsome and dapper this evening," she said and his smile widened.

"I certainly do, don't I!" He laughed, and opened the door of the TARDIS.

They had a short way to go to join the other party goers. He almost walked into a couple of tables though, because he spent so much time looking at Martha and not where he was going, but he really didn't care. He heard someone drop something, heard it smash, and still didn't pay any attention.

He only noticed when Martha let go of his arm to go and help a woman who was dressed in what looked like a French maid's uniform. Tacky, he decided, definitely tacky. He felt sorry for the poor woman who had been made to wear it; she certainly didn't look like she was enjoying herself. Having said that, she was smiling now, and then laughing at something Martha had said. As they both stood, the broken glass having been collected on the drinks tray, the waitress said something to Martha, rather emphatically, and then skirted the crowd. She seemed to be heading for the bar.

He smiled as Martha rejoined him and asked her what it had all been about. Martha gave him and unreadable look, and he felt like gulping again.

* * *

**Martha**

She was surprised when she had spotted the blonde waitress nearby, and found that the Doctor appeared not to have noticed her. When the waitress was knocked into by some idiot who then had the gall to shout at her, Martha felt sympathy for her and went over to help her pick up the pieces of the smashed glasses.

"Hi, I'm Martha," she said, as she carefully gathered the shards.

"I can manage," the other woman asserted frostily, and Martha smiled warmly.

"I know you can, but it's Christmas, season of goodwill and everything. Are you having a Merry Christmas?" She asked and the woman opposite her thawed.

"I am, thanks for asking. Oh, my name's Astrid, Astrid Peth." She told her and together they finished collecting the dangerous slivers of glass.

"How about you, are you having a good Christmas? Enjoying the party?" Astrid asked, and Martha glanced significantly towards the Doctor.

"Oh yes," she said softly and Astrid giggled.

"I see, he's cute," She said and Martha nodded.

"Mmm, cute, clever and just a little bit fiery," she said with a suggestive grin. Astrid laughed, and offered to get her and the Doctor a couple of drinks, on the house, to say thanks for being kind.

"No really, I couldn't –" Martha said, but Astrid insisted and shot off towards the bar.

She made her way back to the Doctor's side, noticing that his eyes had not left her, the whole time. She felt heat rise at the back of her neck and swallowed around the tightness which was suddenly in her throat.

"So, what was all that about then? Nice of you, by the way. Reckon it can't be that fun, working in a place like this," he said and she was surprised again. Astrid was _stunning_, and more to the point, _blonde_ and stunning. Had he really not noticed? Was he only pretending not to notice?

"I guess not," she replied instead of harrying the poor man with her insecurities. She knew she needed to work on them. "She's going to get us a couple of drinks on the house," she told him.

"Excellent," he said, before something must have caught his attention from the corner of his eyes. She turned slightly, trying to see what he had seen and noticed an advert of sorts, on a repeat on a nearby screen.

Before she could say anything, Astrid returned with two tall flutes of what might have been champagne. Since this party seemed to be Earth themed, despite the fact that it was taking place on a space ship in an age when humans had not developed the technology space leisure travel required, she guessed it probably was champagne or an imitation. A careful sniff confirmed that it was safe for her to drink, so she took a sip and enjoyed the taste and the texture of the bubbles on her tongue.

Astrid wished them a Merry Christmas, before glancing at the Doctor, winking at Martha, and walking back into the crowd. The Doctor toasted a Happy Christmas with Martha, and a group of people nearby started laughing. They exchanged a glance, and followed the gaze of the laughing gang to two people who were dressed in purple and black costumes.

They made their way over and sat down at their table, the Doctor saying, "Something's tickled them," in an enquiring tone.

The woman spoke up, "They'd told us it was fancy dress," indicating their clothes, "very funny, I'm sure." Martha offered her a sympathetic look while the Doctor seemed surprised.

The man then spoke, "They're just picking on us because we haven't paid. We won our tickets in a competition," he said, pointing at his companion.

"I had to name the five husbands of Jooffie Crystale, in '_By the Light of the Asteroid'_. Do you ever watch '_By the Light of the Asteroid'_?" Martha was perplexed, but the Doctor answered without missing a beat.

"Is that the one with the twins?" he asked and the woman smiled.

"That's it! Oh it's marvellous!"

"But we're not good enough for that lot," the man chimed in, "they think we should be in steerage."

Martha recognised something familiar in the Doctor's eyes and gave his leg a squeeze under the table. He turned to look at her as he was reaching into his inside jacket pocket, and she cocked an eyebrow at him and grinned.

"Oh, can't have that, can we?" he said, subtly pointing his sonic screwdriver towards the snobs. The cork unexpectedly shot out of the bottle sitting on their table, spraying them all with copious amounts of the fizzy and sticky liquid.

"Did you do that?" the woman asked, and the Doctor shrugged, an innocent look on his face.

"Maybe," he replied and Martha pulled his face towards hers for a kiss. Their table mates were laughing at the snobs who'd been snubbing them all night, and as Martha released her man for a moment, the woman leaned forward a bit.

"Ooh, we like you two!" she said and the Doctor smiled, his arm going round Martha and pulling her closer.

"I'm Morvin Van Hoff," The man offered his hand to the Doctor and Martha, "And this is my good woman, Foon." He said, she offered her hand as well.

"Foon, hello! I'm the Doctor, and this is my own good woman, Martha." She shook their hands, thinking how nice it was to meet friendly people.

"Ooh, I'm going to need a doctor by the time I've finished with that buffet!" Foon said, and Martha smiled. "Have a buffalo wing," Foon offered, and the Doctor picked one up, "they must be enormous, these buffalo, so many wings!" she added.

A tannoy system then interrupted them, stating, "Attention please, shore leave tickets Red 6-7 now activated. Red 6-7. Red 6-7. Thank you."

"Red 6-7, that's us," Foon said, pulling a ticket out of her jacket. She and Morvin rose from the table. "Are you Red 6-7?" she asked and the Doctor shrugged. He glanced at Martha and offered her a hand up.

"Might as well be!" he said cheerfully and she gave his hand a squeeze. It was one of the things she loved about him most, that he was always eager to try something new. His compassion was something she cherished as well, and she loved him even more for the way he had stuck up for their new friends.

She leaned into him as they followed the couple in front, and slipped her arm around his waist. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Martha thought she had never felt so content.

* * *

**The Doctor**

He was so glad to have Martha at his side.

Sitting at the table with the Van Hoffs, he'd felt, well, normal. Almost like a couple on holiday, making friends with another couple. It was odd, because he'd never thought he would enjoy something like that. But as he sat there with her, having introduced her as his own good woman, he felt so proud. So honoured, in fact, to be able to sit beside her and say, 'She's with me.'

And now, as she put her arm round him, and his automatically went round her shoulder, years of pain and loneliness, slipped away. He didn't forget, he never would. But their grip on him just, _lessened_. He had a woman by his side whom he loved and trusted, and if all went well, they could be together for a very long time. Hells, they might even die on the same day. He wondered if it was weird that he was sort of looking forward to that.

He might say to people that he didn't die, but he knew he would run out of regenerations in the end. He was in his tenth form already. Then again, who knew how long this one would last? Maybe Martha might even outlive him!

That was a chilling thought.

He shrugged it off though, because the here and now was what he wanted to focus on. And for him, the here and now, was just about as close to perfection as you could get.

* * *

A few yards ahead an older man was holding up a red sign with 6-7 on it, and calling out, "Red 6-7, this way". They made their way over quickly.

"Red 6-7, plus one," the Doctor said, holding up the psychic paper, and nodding towards Martha.

"Alright, yes sir. Quickly please," the man who had been brandishing the sign said, gesturing towards some bracelets or cuffs on a rack in front of them. He instantly recognised them as teleportation devices. He picked up two and showed Martha how to put it on.

"Let me repeat then, I am Mr Copper, the ship's historian and I will be taking you to Old London Town, in the country of UK, ruled over, by Good King Wenceslas." Here the Doctor frowned and looked down at Martha. She appeared to be trying not to laugh, and he felt the corners of his mouth quirking upwards. He cleared his throat and looked away, not wanting to end up laughing himself.

Mr Copper had carried on speaking, "Now, human beings worship the Great God Santa," here he felt a tremor coming from Martha and resolutely kept his eyes away from hers. "A creature with fierce claws, and his wife, Mary. And every Christmas Eve, people of UK go to war with the country of Turkey and they then eat the Turkey people for Christmas Dinner, like savages."

Martha had turned away slightly and stuffed her fist in her mouth in an effort to stave off the encroaching hysterics he knew she was suppressing. He managed to keep a straight face, and just felt he had to say _something_.

"Excuse me, sorry, but where exactly did you get all this from?"

"Oh, I have first class degree in Earthanomics," Mr Copper assured him, "Now, standby," he said, before being interrupted by a high pitched voice.

"And me, and me! Red 6-7!" came from a tiny man with a face like, well. Hard to say really. The little guy was given a bracelet and soon stood waiting with the others.

* * *

**Martha**

It was all she could do not to burst out laughing at the Good King Wenceslas comment, and as for the rest of it, Martha thought she might explode if he didn't stop soon. She admired the Doctor for being able to ask a serious question, but she was in fits.

Then the red and spiky guy showed up and she wondered how they were going to blend in on the streets of London. Then again, it was London.

"But, hold on, hold on," the Doctor was saying, "What was your name again?" he asked red and spiky.

"Bannakaffalatta." he replied and the Doctor's eyebrows rose.

"OK, Bannakaffalatta. But, it's Christmas Eve down there. Late night shopping, tons of people – he's like a talking conker!" the Doctor said and Martha was inwardly glad she wasn't the only one who thought so.

Bannakaffalatta turned and glared at the Doctor who hastily began to back pedal.

"No offence, but you'll cause a riot down there, because the streets are going to be packed with shoppers, and parties," as he was speaking, Martha noticed that Mr Copper appeared not to be paying attention at all.

They were actually teleported while the Doctor was still talking. Martha wondered how often that had happened to him before.

" –and, oh!" He suddenly stopped and they both looked around in confusion.

The streets were deserted.

* * *

**The Doctor**

"It should be full," he said to Martha, looking this way and that. She was looking worried too. "There's something wrong," he said. He saw a newsstand which was occupied, and the two of them hurried over.

"Hello there," he began cheerfully, "A bit of an obvious question, where's everybody gone?"

"Oho, scared!" the man replied and the Doctor nodded.

"Right," he said, "yes, scared of what?"

"Where have you been living? London, at Christmas," the old guy was saying slowly, as if talking to a young child, "it's not safe, is it?"

"Why?"

"It's them up above," he sighed, "Look, Christmas before last we had that big bloody spaceship, hanging in the air, everyone standing on the roof, and then last year we had that Christmas star, electrocuting all over the place, draining the Thames. This year, gawd knows what, so, everybody's scarpered. Gone to the country. All except me." he looked down to a small TV set on a shelf near him, "And Her Majesty."

The news reporter on the TV announced that the Queen was adamant on staying at Buckingham Palace to reassure the rest of the country and the world that there was nothing to fear.

He pulled Martha into a sideways hug and assured the old man that as far as he knew, there was nothing going to happen this year. And then the teleport activated, and the two of them disappeared right in front of his eyes.

Oh dear.

* * *

"I was in mid sentence!" he protested as they materialised on the ship, and a couple of stewards arrived to apologise that there had been some sort of power fluctuation.

He moved towards them, Martha beside him, and handed over their bracelets. "What sort of power fluctuation," he wanted to know.

Unfortunately, they fobbed him off and they were both led back to the 'festivities'. Now that they were back on the ship, and with the added mystery of the 'power fluctuation', the Doctor's eyes were drawn once again to the screens on the walls.

They made their way over to the nearest one, and he used the sonic to open it. A few adjustments, and there, he could see the ship's status. It wasn't good – the shields were down and there was a meteor storm coming in. He got onto the comms immediately to warn the captain, but he wouldn't listen.

Two stewards came and dragged him and Martha away. He was _not _happy with the rough way they had handled her, and shouted at them to let her go. They paid him no attention.

"You've got a rock storm heading for the ship and the shields are down!" He tried another tack as the crewmen carried on relentlessly. As they reached the door leading out of the ballroom, he yanked his arm free, barely noticing Martha slamming one of her high heels into the bridge of the other crewman's foot. He ran as fast as he could, intending to get to the microphone the entertainer was using, wanting to warn all these innocent people.

"Everyone listen to me! Listen! This is an emergency, get to the life bmmph!" His voice was cut off as one of the golden angels, the things which were called the 'hosts' grabbed him, another one caught Martha, and the two of them were carried off. All he managed was a 'look out the windows!' as they passed some people by the doors.

Some of the people they had gone to the surface with earlier – the Van Hoffs, Mr Copper, and Bannakaffalatta, and also the waitress Astrid, were following, trying to get the Chief Steward to let them go. He kept telling them that the shields were down, but they wouldn't listen.

He sent a desperate look at Martha, who returned it, looking just as scared as he was.

A demanding voice rang out behind them. He recognised it as the same one which had been so rude to Martha's new friend Astrid earlier. "Hey you, steward! I'm telling you the shields are down!"

"Listen to him, just listen to him!" he urged, not knowing what else to do.

He hated that, seconds later, he was proven right when the meteors crashed into the ship, throwing them about all over the place.

* * *

**Martha**

It was like a scene from a nightmare.

As she and the Doctor clung to each other, sinking to the floor in the hope that it would anchor them somehow, all Martha could hear were the screams. The terror was rolling off the people in the ship in waves and it was overwhelming her.

They were knocked over again, as a final explosion went off behind them. Then suddenly, it all stopped. The Doctor got to his feet, reaching down to help her up and looked around. He called for quiet and listened to the ship.

It was becoming still again. "Bad name for a ship," the Doctor said as he pulled her into his arms. He muttered something about his suit as well, but her mind was elsewhere. She was slightly in shock, she knew, but unharmed. She was mentally sorting through the skills she'd developed, trying to decide which ones might be useful.

She broke away from her man, remembering her most important skill of all, and began looking to see if anyone was injured. Doctoring first, she told herself, hugging later. She bent down to a man who was lying hunched up against the corridor wall. She checked his pulse, nothing.

Turning her head, she looked to the Doctor and shook it. The man was dead.

The Chief Steward then tried apologising, calling it a 'small' collision, which started the other people shouting. He yelled for quiet, and when the people shuffled around, she could see Mr Copper was on the floor, and bleeding.

She ran over and began inspecting his wound. The Doctor noticed and joined her. The Chief Steward was still talking and backing away towards a nearby door. The Doctor looked up as he saw what the man was about to do and tried to warn him not to open it. Tragically, he did, and was sucked out into space.

For a scary few seconds, Martha believed they might all go the same way, and then the Doctor managed to get his sonic onto the controls and stabilise the oxygen shield.

"Everyone alright? Martha? Astrid? Foon? Morvin? Mr Copper? Bannakaffalatta? And you, what was your name?" he asked, pointing to the rude man from earlier.

"Rickston Slade," he replied.

"You alright?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes, no thanks to that idiot," he said arrogantly and Martha glared at him.

"The steward just died!" she said and he sneered.

"Then he's a dead idiot." She took a step forward, preparing to introduce him to her right hook, but the Doctor took her hand and pulled her back.

"Alright, calm down. Just stay still, all of you, hold on." He tugged on Martha's hand and led her over to the doorway.

"What happened, how come the shields were down?" He gave her a look. "Hold on, you don't think it was deliberate?" She gasped and he nodded.

"I don't think it was an accident," he said grimly and she cursed.

"But, all those people – how many dead, do you think?"

"We're alive, let's just focus on that. We'll get out of here, you know that, right? We're a team, aren't we? Together we can do anything, right?" he asked, turning her to face him and looking earnestly into her eyes.

"Right," she agreed, and then pulled him into a firm hug. A deep, life affirming kiss later, and she released him. His eyes were wide, and then grew hazy.

A moonstruck look appeared on his face for a moment, before he cleared his throat and said, "Right then, back to business. You know if we can get to reception, we can all get on board the TARDIS and – oh no. Look!" he said, and Martha looked out to see the TARDIS drifting towards the Earth.

"Unfortunately, if set adrift she's programmed to lock onto the nearest centre of gravity." he said as they watched it fly faster, away from them.

"Plan B then." Martha said and the Doctor heaved a great sigh, running his hand over his face a few times before he took her hands in his. Placing kisses on each hand, he looked into her eyes.

"Those people over there are hurt, and they're afraid. Do what you can to help while I get onto the comms and see if I can get hold of anyone."

She went to Mr Copper first, since he was the oldest and the most vulnerable. She told them she was a doctor as well, and asked them to be honest and tell her up front if they were in any pain.

She could hear the Doctor talking into the communications system, "This is Deck 22 to the Bridge, come in please. Is there anyone there?" he was saying.

There was a pause and then a voice replied, "This is the bridge."

She blocked his conversation out, paying no attention, trusting him to know what he was doing, and focused on the task before her. Her attention was caught however, when the people around her started panicking and asking if they were going to die.

The Doctor stepped up and reassured them that between them, they would make it, they would get out. She could see it in their faces, his natural charisma was winning them over.

Then, when he asked them to follow him, Rickston Slade spoke up. "Hang on, who put you in charge? Who the hell are you anyway?"

"I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. I am nine hundred and three years old, and I am the man who is going to save all of your lives, and the six billion people on the planet below."

They stared at him with awe, and she decided to speak up. To not be a follower.

"And I'm Martha Jones. I am a doctor. I am a human from that planet below us, and I am going to fight for the human race, for me, and all of you too. We _will _make it out of here."

The Doctor smiled at her proudly, and then looked at Slade. "You got a problem with that?"

"No," he said sheepishly.

"In that case," the Doctor took possession of one of Martha's hands, and said, "Allons-y!"

* * *

**The Doctor**

When they reached a portion of stairs blocked by the rubble, his first thought had been to repair the host they'd found nearby. Then, he remembered his dented railing. Or, his dented pole, as Martha had said.

"Foon, Morvin, leave that thing alone for a minute. Martha, come here for a sec?" She joined him at the smallish gap in the rubble and leaned in for a look.

"I could probably fit through there, I'm small enough," she said, and crawled forward. He grabbed for her, his hand landing on her backside. "Darling, now is not the time!" she admonished, turning her head. He winked back.

"Sorry, but I was just trying to stop you for a second." She did the hands and knees version of reversing, and then leaned closer to him so he could whisper in her ear.

"Can you use that super-strength of yours to shift some of this?" se asked, and she looked confused for a moment, before her face cleared and she brightened.

"I should think so. But I bet it's unstable. Look, I'll go through, send Bannakaffalatta along as well, and we'll try and shift it. But tell me if it starts moving, alright?"

She got through fine, and those new muscles of hers seemed to get things going very quickly. When the rubble was mostly gone, and the rest of them could fit through the gap, the Doctor went first to make sure it was safe.

He found Bannakaffalatta lying on a piece of debris, looking exhausted. Martha said she had no idea what was wrong, and that the little guy wouldn't let her examine him. He sat down next to him and scanned him with his sonic. He realised then that Bannakaffalatta was a cyborg and in need of recharging.

"Tell no one," he said, and the Doctor agreed.

Midshipman Frame contacted them to say that life signs all over the ship were going out, and that he thought it was the host who were responsible. The Doctor was doubly glad then that he'd stopped the Van Hoffs from fixing the one they'd found buried in the rubble.

When they got into the next room, they discovered some of the buffet spread out on trolleys. Of course, Rickston had to make a snide comment about Foon, but the Doctor blanked him, he had bigger problems to deal with.

They rested there for a little while, and Mr Copper confessed to him and Martha that he had lied about his Earthonomics degree to the company, and would possibly face imprisonment if he was found out. A bang sounded on the door before the Doctor could say anything.

"It's the host!" He shouted, "Come on!" he said, grabbing for Martha again and rushing towards the nearest exit. It seemed that luck was not on their side however, since the only door they could use led them into a shaft at the bottom of which raged the nuclear storm drive – the ship's engine.

The only way across was a thin bridge of metal. When Rickston commented that Morvin and Foon would be going last, Morvin agreed and stepped to the right.

When he asked her about it later, much later, Martha would tell him that for her, everything had gone in slow motion. She saw Morvin step onto the edge of the platform, she heard the metal groan and begin to buckle, she saw him start to fall, and her hands shot out towards him.

To the others, who really weren't in any state to pay proper attention just then, it just seemed as though she'd been in the right place at the right time. He knew that wasn't true. Martha had moved so fast, she'd not even been a blur.

She pulled Morvin back to the stable part of the platform and handed him to a crying Foon. The Doctor caught her eyes and raised his brows. She shrugged slightly, and when he gave her a look to say, '_We'll talk about this later_', she nodded, almost imperceptibly.

Though he wanted her to go first, Martha insisted on being last. He couldn't budge her on that point, she was determined and a bit stubborn. When the host started getting closer, he sealed them in. When they started pounding on the door, he began to worry for Martha.

* * *

Martha couldn't watch the others as they crossed what she was mentally referring to as the Pit of Doom. She watched the doors instead. If those damned robot hosts came through, they were going to be in for a surprise.

Suddenly, the pounding on the door stopped.

Martha turned and saw that everyone, bar the Van Hoffs and the Doctor, had made it across. Foon and Morvin were still with her, and the Doctor was about halfway. He wasn't moving for the moment though, he was looking around, his eyes wide. "Where are the host, why would they just give up?" he said suspiciously.

"I'm afraid we forgot that other Christmas tradition, that angels have wings!" Mr Copper cried and pointed upwards.

Martha followed his terrified gaze and her eyes narrowed as she looked at the host. Whether it was the spark of adrenaline she felt as she thought about what those robots could do to her beloved Doctor or something else, instinct took over and Martha's power sprung to the surface.

"Oi, you! Yeah, you! Host thing! You call those wings? Those aren't wings!" She yelled. Her own celestial wings sprang from her back and she rose effortlessly into the air. "_These_ are wings!"

She zipped over to the nearest one, moving like a hawk and punched it right in the face. She barely felt a thing, but the host plummeted into the engine below.

"Take that!" she shouted. "Next time," smack, "Stay away," smack, "from MY Doctor!" Smack. The last one went down and Martha breathed a sigh of relief. She flew gently over to her stunned man from Gallifrey, and kissed him soundly.

"Bu – but – you told me you didn't have wings!" he accused when she released his lips.

"No, I never – I said I didn't know! Well, now I do! What do you think?" she did a little twirl in mid air, and gave him a saucy wink.

"Smashing! Brilliant, I love them! I love _you!_" he said, and she kissed him again. When they parted, he carried on across the bridge towards the stunned people standing there.

"Morvin? Foon? Fancy a lift?" she yelled, and laughed at their answering expressions.

* * *

**The Doctor**

Using her wings had greatly tired Martha, though thanks to her, all of them had made it across and out of the shaft safely. Between them, they'd managed to capture one of the hosts and found out that their orders were coming from Deck 31. They'd also discovered that the people were slaughtered to ensure there were no witnesses, and the destruction of planet Earth was part of the plan.

They found a safe place to stop for another rest, and though he chafed at the delay, he knew they all needed it, Martha especially. He sat down and had her sit in front of him, between his legs so that she could rest her back against his chest. He found something chocolaty in his pockets, still in its wrapper and safe to eat. He scanned it first to make sure, before giving it to Martha. She didn't protest, she knew she needed the sugar for energy.

When she was finished, she slumped back against him and was out like a light. Astrid approached and asked softly if she could sit with them. He nodded, and she perched on a box next to him.

"You two – I've never seen people like you before. The things you can do... are all Earthlings like Martha?" she asked, and the Doctor smiled fondly.

"No, Martha's special. She's unique. A while back, she inherited some abilities from a celestial," Astrid gasped, "You've heard of them I take it?" he said and she nodded emphatically. "Well, she's only just really working out for herself what she can and can't do. Until she's used to it, it can wear her out, fast. Well, what she just did in there, a manifestation like that, it took a lot power, but not everything she has. Problem is, she's not used to regulating how much power she puts into things, and so, she crashes, like now." He was stroking Martha's hair as he spoke, finding it refreshing to share this intimacy in such a highly charged environment.

"The way you look at each other – I mean, you really love her, don't you?" Astrid said and the Doctor gave her his thousand watt smile. "Yeah I do, and she loves me, and it's just, well, amazing!" He said. He noticed Foon and Morvin hovering, almost out of his line of sight. He held a finger to his lips, and indicated Martha.

They nodded and didn't speak. He waited as long as he could, but he knew he had to get to Deck 31 and find out what was happening on this ship. He hated to leave Martha, but he hoped she would understand. He left her in the care of Astrid and the Van Hoffs. Bannakaffalatta reassured the Doctor by removing his EMP projector and charging it, that it could be used to take out the robots if they needed it. Martha was in no state to help them just then, so he was grateful to his new friend, and apologised again for calling him a talking conker.

He gave Rickston his sonic screwdriver to open the doors and showed Astrid how to charge the EMP unit. As they were talking, ship shuddered violently underneath them and everyone was thrown off their feet. He contacted Midshipman Frame, who told him they only had eight minutes left before the ship went down.

He called over to the Van Hoffs to make sure Martha was still alright. He checked that everyone knew what they were doing, gave Martha a lingering kiss on the forehead and then ran back the way they came.

He encountered the host when he was running through a supply room, and by chance managed to activate a security protocol which stopped them attacking for the moment. Unfortunately, when he asked what the security protocol was, they told him it meant he had three questions, and had just used one of them. They tricked him out of the second one, or so he claimed, thus he only had one left.

"One question left, one question to save my life, one question... So, you've been given orders to kill the survivors, but the survivors therefore must be passengers or staff, but not me. I'm not a passenger and I'm not staff, go on scan me – you must have bio-records, no such person on board. I don't exist – therefore, you can't kill me, therefore, I'm a stowaway! And _stowaways_ should be arrested and taken to the nearest figure of authority, and I reckon, the nearest figure of authority, is on Deck 31. Final question: am I right?"

"Information, correct."

"Brilliant. Take me to your leader," he paused and then grinned, "I've always wanted to say that!"

* * *

**Martha**

She awoke, feeling a bit groggy, but otherwise OK. A quick look around told her she was back in the ballroom. She could see that everyone was present and correct, everyone except the Doctor that was.

"Where is he?" she asked, sitting up and looking around. "Where's the Doctor?" she demanded, worry making her voice a bit shrill. The Van Hoffs were trying to calm her, but while she appreciated it, she was having none of it. "I said, where is he?!?"

"He's, well, he's, oh, come over here!" Astrid said and Martha rose gingerly. She was a bit wobbly on her feet at first, but once she'd walked a few paces she felt much better, and reached the other woman quickly.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" she asked and Astrid explained what the Doctor had done. "We have to get down there, we have to – we can't leave him on his own!"

They called the bridge, and though at first he tried to tell them there was no way he could do what they were asking, Midshipman Frame was no match for two women who were determined to save the Doctor. They managed, and not very gently either, to persuade him to give them power to teleport down to Deck 31.

When they arrived, they kept to the shadows, though they were perfectly able to hear the Doctor talking to some man in a machine.

"That's Mr Capricorn!" Astrid exclaimed softly. And Martha's eyes narrowed in rage. She only grew more furious as she listened to his sordid tale.

Here was this _man _who thought that the destruction of her home, wiping out all life on Earth – including her own family was _funny_. He thought it a fitting revenge on his colleagues and a spiffy retirement plan. He didn't care about the people who had already died, and would die in the cataclysm that this ship crashing into the Earth would cause. What made him think he had the right to make those choices?

She sat still, behind some boxes, as her anger simmered and bubbled within her. It roared across her synapses, electrified her nervous system. She sat and she _seethed_. Later she would curse herself for letting herself get distracted. It was only Astrid's voice and the Doctor's shout which shook her from her trance like state.

"Mr Capricorn! I resign!" Astrid shouted and Martha's eyes shot open. Astrid was sat in the driving seat of a forklift truck and driving as fast as she could towards her former boss.

In a second Martha was running, the machine-man was fighting the push of the forklift Astrid was using by spinning his own wheels in the opposite direction. Martha whizzed by the host and the Doctor, slamming into the exposed part of Max Capricorn's life support system. The three of them went over the edge of the platform, and in the heat of the moment, Martha didn't notice her wings emerging for the second time that day.

She yanked Astrid out of the truck and flew them both up, away from the storm drive. The Doctor had run to the edge and was searching frantically for any sign of them. She landed next to him, deposited a shocked Astrid on the floor, and promptly passed out.

* * *

**The Doctor**

When he saw the two women fall, the Doctor thought his life was over.

Neither of them should even have been here, they should have stayed upstairs like he told them to – why didn't they? They should have – then he saw. He saw his woman, he saw her rise triumphantly, from the jaws of death itself, and he wondered at how his life seemed constantly touched by angels.

A weeping angel led him and Martha to 1969. It was there she was touched by the celestial. Angels on the _Titanic_ had tried to kill them, but Martha, his sweet Martha, flew at them like an avenging angel. And now, now here she was, saving the Earth.

When she passed out, his hearts missed a beat, but he knew she was just exhausted. He gave her a quick check over, the best he could do in the current circumstances, and then asked Astrid to watch over her. He hated to leave again, but he had to go, he just had to.

The _Titanic _was falling, and he knew just what to do.

* * *

"Using the heat of re-entry to fire up the second storm drive, brilliant – even if I do say so myself," the Doctor said, as he used his pocket handkerchief to wipe a smudge from Martha's cheek.

Since they'd rejoined the others in the ballroom, he'd retrieved his sonic screwdriver and used it to scan Martha properly. She was fine; her body had gone into some kind of natural hibernation. She would be out for another sixteen hours or so, but she _would _be fine, that was the important point.

He, Astrid, Mr Copper and an unconscious Martha used the teleport system to get to the TARDIS on Earth. The others – Midshipman Frame, the Van Hoffs, Bannakaffalatta and Rickston Slade all stayed on board the _Titanic _and would return to Planet Sto. He'd slipped the Van Hoffs a credit card with five thousand credits when they weren't looking. Hopefully they would find it, and hopefully they would use it. He had heard them discussing their enormous phone bill when they'd been in the stairwell, and since it was Christmas, he decided to help out.

Astrid helped him get Martha into the TARDIS and into her bed, while Mr Copper waited in the control room. He was fascinated by the ship, but promised earnestly not to touch anything. The Doctor faced the opposite way when Astrid changed Martha into her nightclothes. He might have fantasised about seeing Martha naked, but not like this. Never like this.

Mr Copper and Astrid decided to stay on Earth. He had offered to take them elsewhere if they wanted it, but they were both so excited about Earth that they begged to stay there instead. They still had the credit card which Mr Copper used on Shore Leave, and with it they had enough money to get a proper home. They would live together as grandfather and granddaughter, they were looking forward to it – neither had any family of their own anymore after all. He gave them his number and made them promise to call if they needed him, anytime, anywhere.

He dropped them off at the edge of Hyde Park in London, and then after wishing them Merry Christmas, he said goodbye.

After all, his own good woman, Martha, was waiting for him inside the TARDIS, and in a few hours she would awaken.

* * *

**_To be continued..._**


	6. Part Six: Partners in Crime

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction story and not written for any financial gain of any kind. All rights to Doctor Who and any associated material belong to the BBC and any other affiliated entities. Thanks. Also, the story of Lady Silverhair comes from Neverwinter Nights 2, which is the property of Atari, Obsidian, Wizards of the Coast and any other involved parties.**

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**A/N: OK, if you've read this far you know that this is a blatant Super!Martha fic, nd is a Martha/10th Doctor romance. Please hit the back button if either of these things offends you. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, it means a lot to me. Thank you also to Haleine Delail for being a source of great inspiration and great stories!**

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**This is now the edited version, beta read by the brilliant Persiflage - thanks for all your hard work!**

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**Part Six: **Partners in Crime

* * *

"As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters."

**Seneca**

* * *

**Martha**

She could never say that life with the Doctor was boring.

If Martha from a year, no, eighteen months ago, yes, if Martha from eighteen months ago could meet her now, and see the life she was living, she would probably run for cover. But Martha now, would not change a single bit of her life, not even the difficult parts, because it was when things got tough that she could appreciate the quiet times even more.

Like tonight, for instance.

When she'd woken from the hibernation she'd entered after exhausting herself on the _Titanic_, the Doctor had been there, right beside her. He was half sitting, half lying propped up by pillows next to her as she lay on her bed. His chest was bare; he was clad only in blue pyjama bottoms. He was also reading a book. She tilted her head to read the title printed on the spine, _'Poirot's Early Cases'_ by Agatha Christie.

"I'm a fan of whodunits," he said and startled at the unexpected sound of his voice, Martha yelped. Her reaction was so extreme; she nearly fell off the bed. The Doctor took off his glasses and put the book down on the bedside table. Martha was hanging half off the bed and he gently pulled her towards him and away from the treacherous precipice.

When she'd got her breath back, she looked up into his eyes. They were wide and full of happiness.

"Hello sleepyhead," he said and she smiled, for a second. Then she launched herself at him and practically devoured his mouth. In short order, she had managed to manoeuvre herself so that she was straddling his middle while he writhed and moaned beneath her. Both were still dressed, but since they were only wearing thin cotton garments they could feel the heat of each other, just a hair's breadth away.

When she drew back, gasping and rubbing herself against the hardness she could feel in his trousers, he stared up at her, incredulous.

"What's gotten into you?" he asked, though he didn't sound upset.

"Oh, I don't know, I... ah, just feel so... buzzed, Oh God, I want to feel you, I want," She arched her head back and yanked her nightdress off over her head in one movement. She heard the Doctor gasp, and though it was probably only a matter of moments, it felt like a lifetime before she felt his hands on her skin.

"I, I thought you w-wanted to wait?" he stammered and she growled. Not just a mangled groan, it was close to an actual growl, like a tigress.

"Less talking, more – " She didn't even let herself finish her own sentence as she descended on him again. His wide grin told her he really didn't mind.

* * *

**The Doctor**

He'd been expecting Martha to have an excess of energy when she awoke. It was like he had told Astrid when they were on the ship. Martha was still getting used to her new powers, and didn't know how to regulate them. Being cut off from the TARDIS didn't help either, since she had been relying on the telepathic ship to guide and teach her, and when it had been set adrift, the link was weakened to the point where Martha only had her instincts to rely on.

Funny thing, instinct. Put it together with all the emotions which were coursing through her when she used her powers on the _Titanic_ and her judgement would have been severely skewed. So, like using too much power to manifest her wings and such, she'd overcompensated the other way during her hibernation.

The other funny thing though, was that he hadn't expected her to want to use that energy in quite _this _way, but _OH_! It certainly was more pleasurable than anything he'd personally had in mind. Running a marathon, jumping a pier, running from a rampaging barbarian horde, though that was particularly fun, maybe they could do that tomorrow.

He stopped musing on the cause of Martha's sudden ardour at exactly the same time as they started round five. Possibly, they could be here for some time.

* * *

When they seemed to have burnt each other out, the two of them went back to sleep. Later, they woke and showered, and then headed into the kitchen. Both had _quite _the appetite, so when they saw the meagre provisions on offer, (_they'd not exactly had the chance to stock up just lately_), it was agreed that they should eat out.

He knew that Martha loved to have the chance to dress up, so he suggested they go to one of his favourite restaurants, _The Witchery_, by the castle in Edinburgh. He'd not had the chance to eat there as often as he would like, and yes, there were a lot of restaurants in other galaxies which were arguably just as good... but _The Witchery_ just had a sort of charm which made it so enjoyable to dine there.

He wouldn't usually be so bothered about picking the perfect restaurant, such things bordered on the domestic – something he tried to avoid. But he'd begun to understand that life with Martha was all about trying new things, and venturing where he'd not ventured before.

After all, just take him and Rose – he'd loved her. Truly and completely, yet he'd never said, never told her. She was good, and strong, and brave – she was a sweet girl, a child. Martha was a very superior woman. And while he would never stop loving Rose, he had a chance at a full life with Martha and he would never let such a chance go.

* * *

**Martha**

When the Doctor had suggested they go to a five star restaurant, Martha had been taken aback. This was not at all what she had expected from him. She was grateful though, because she knew he had made the suggestion partly because he knew she loved having a reason to wear something gorgeous. He knew, or at least from his behaviour she thought he knew that she was not precious, she would not moan or huff and puff if she broke a nail. But having an opportunity to primp and style and all the stuff women do before they go out, he knew it meant a lot to her.

In previous relationships, Martha had usually found that the getting ready turned out to be the best part of the evening. She thought it would be unlikely that it would hold true for her and the Doctor. Only one way to find out though!

Having made the last dress she had worn out, she felt confident she would be able to make an appropriate one for this evening. She chose to model it on a Karen Millen dress she'd seen. It was black with a pale pink overlay. The overlay had butterflies embroidered on it in beads, sequins and diamonds. She chose to make them as close to real diamonds as she could to give them extra sparkle. She finished her outfit with some genuine Karen Millen high heels she actually already owned. They had diamante butterflies at the clasp.

She was hoping for an appreciative comment from the Doctor, and she got it. He gaped for six point seven seconds, the TARDIS told her, before his brain kicked in and he beckoned her to him. He was holding a pink silk wrap and held it out so he could place it round her shoulders. They might have parked literally round the corner from the restaurant, but it was Scotland, and it was winter.

"Thank you Doctor. Might I ask where you got this?" she indicated the wrap and suddenly his eyes seemed far away.

"It was... it was my granddaughter's. Susan, her name was Susan. But it was actually my mother's before her. She gave it to Susan, but she never wore it. Said it wasn't her style. So, it's been in storage ever since. I asked the TARDIS if we had anything which would go with your dress, and well, she suggested it," he said, looking lost for a moment.

The TARDIS suggested it, but the Doctor could have refused and she would never have known any different. That meant he wanted her to wear it. He was prepared to see her in it – _something which belonged to his mother. _It was a daunting prospect, but only served to reaffirm just how serious he was about her. She waited for him to shake himself out of it, having made a promise to herself that she would not push him, not on things like this.

"So, it's not made of silk then?" she asked her tone light. The Doctor frowned for a moment, before he shrugged.

"It is, it's just... it's not made of _Earth_ silk," he replied.

"Oh, well it's beautiful and it's an honour. Shall we?" she gestured to the doors of the TARDIS and he let out a deep sigh. Looking all the more relaxed for it, he offered her his arm and opened the door.

"Oh look, it's not raining!" he remarked and she laughed.

* * *

**The Doctor**

_The Witchery_ generally had a waiting list of several months, but he'd been here before and had no trouble getting a table. When they approached him, the maître d' greeted them with a warm smile. When he asked about their reservations, the Doctor showed him the psychic paper and told him they wanted a VIP room.

As he turned to lead them to said room, another man in a similar uniform approached and frowned at the Doctor for a moment. It took him a second to recognise him, but when he did, he eagerly went over to greet him.

"Jeremi Elmaleh, as I live and breathe! Gosh, it's been a while. It's me, the Doctor!" He said and Jeremi's face cleared.

"Ah, I see, a moment, s'il vous plait," He dismissed the maître d' and bid them follow him to their table. Martha tugged on his arm and he tilted his head down to hear her whisper. The feel of her warm breath on his ear brought to mind their earlier activities and he had to suppress a groan.

"Why am I hearing French? Shouldn't it sound like English to me – what with the translation circuits?" she asked. He was surprised.

"Oh, you're good, Martha Jones. Short answer is, he's not human and he can block the TARDIS from accessing his mind," he replied, but she wasn't satisfied.

"But surely, the TARDIS works on _my _mind, not his. Doesn't it alter my brainwaves or something? Why would it need access to his mind?"

"You know what, that's a good question. I'll um, get back to you," he said, and then grinned as he saw his old friend opening the door to the room they'd be having their dinner in. "Meantime, allons-y!" he said and she tutted, but followed him anyway.

* * *

**Martha**

Turned out Jeremi's real name was Hobson Underhill, a Halfling from the planet Valfoon V. He'd always been fond of cooking, of trying new dishes – inventing them, in fact, but his people had not approved. They liked things done 'the old way', the way it had always been done. Progress was not a word they recognised, encouraged or endorsed. They were fond of the phrase, 'It's aye been that way round here'. The Doctor had helped him when the transport ship he'd hitched a lift on had got into some difficulties.

It was a while back, the Doctor had been in his eighth form and had brought Hobson to Earth and helped him set himself up a new life. He'd given him a chameleon device, something similar to what the Doctor had used to become John Smith, but not quite as sophisticated. Hobson still knew who he was; it was only the outer shell of him which had been altered.

The meal was delicious, and Martha had greatly enjoyed the fact that they had a room to themselves. They ordered different things, but both ended up eating half of each other's food, sometimes feeding small bites to each other. They'd begun on opposite sides of the table, but he'd moved his chair round so they were sitting at right angles to each other.

When they were finishing their desert, she asked him to remind her to phone home later.

"Do it now if you like," he offered, using his fork to steal one of the strawberries from the garnish on her plate.

"Well, it's a bit rude, to talk on the phone while you're just sitting there," she hedged and he smiled.

"Really, I don't mind. Your Mum would probably love to hear from you. Give her a ring. There's no one else here, so we're not going to disturb any of the other guests. Do I mean guests? Or would it be diners? Customers? Restaurant goers? Patrons? Visitors?" He sat tapping his chin with one finger and she thought he looked adorable.

Deciding he was telling the truth, that he really didn't mind, Martha got her mobile out from her clutch bag and phoned home. It was only nine o'clock, so her mother would still be up.

_"Hello?"_ she answered and Martha smiled into the phone.

"Hi Mum, it's me. How are you?"

* * *

**The Doctor**

From what he could hear it sounded like Martha and her Mum were having a good chat. Well, it was good until Martha gasped sharply and looked over at him, concerned.

"She's lost nearly twenty pounds in _eight days_? Mum, that can't be right, surely? That's not healthy, not at all, how did she do it?"

There was a pause, presumably Francine was talking.

"_Adipose_? But Adipose is another name for fat cells, why would... oh well I suppose it sort of makes sense, but Mum, it just doesn't happen. A pill can't make people lose weight, not without diet and exercise, it just doesn't exist," she said, rubbing a hand across her forehead as she sighed.

"Not yet, at least, and not on Earth," he muttered and she nodded.

"Look Mum, the Doctor says it's not normal for Earth so," she sighed again, "no, don't panic, I'm sure it's not dangerous. Yes, he would tell me, yes he would, and I would tell you if I knew." Another pause. "I'm sure it's not the end of the world, just tell Auntie Vera to stop taking them for now," Martha huffed, "Well I don't know, just, just tell her I said to stop taking them. She's always listened to my medical advice before so I don't see why she wouldn't – Mum! Alright, just flush them down the toilet then. Look, I've got to go, alright...yes...no, I won't...yes, well give everyone my love, alright? Bye...yes, bye."

Martha shut the phone and put it on the table. For a moment she looked as though she wanted to bang her head against it.

"Adipose?" he prompted, trying to distract her from her irritation and trying to hide the fact that he'd eaten the last of her chocolate torte. It had been _delicious_.

"Oh right, well you heard what I said before, about twenty pounds in eight days?" He nodded, so she continued, "Apparently, she's done no dieting, no exercise, nothing. Just takes this pill once a day and the next day she's lost the equivalent of a kilo. Well, that got me suspicious, I've read all the latest research into obesity and the like, and nothing like this has ever been proposed. I can't see it being some top secret government thing either, since it's being sold commercially. So, what do you think? Should we check it out?" she asked, taking the last bit of his cheesecake.

"Hey, that was mine!" he whinged and she smiled sweetly.

"Right back at you, chocolate torte stealing boy!" He pouted a little, and she patted his arm. "If it makes you feel any better, it was _really, really _good," she said licking her lips. It made him wonder, was she talking about the cheesecake or... feeling hot under the collar, he shifted in his seat and cleared his throat.

"Right, well yes. I mean, yes. We'll check it out. What was the name of the company?"

"Adipose Industries, they're in central London."

"Well, let's get the bill and we'll be on our way," he said, getting up and helping her out of her chair. She didn't need help, but he liked using his gentlemanly wiles on her, and she seemed to appreciate it, so it was all good.

With that thought, the Doctor wondered if he would have to install some kind of system in the TARDIS which would stop him picking up random colloquialisms. On the other hand, why bother?

* * *

He and Martha entered the Adipose Industries building through a fire escape. He was in his usual suit, and she had put on a trouser suit for the occasion. They passed a security guard, but he just flashed the psychic paper at the man, "Doctors Smith and Jones, Health and Safety", he said, and the man nodded them on.

When they got upstairs they found a press presentation had started. Instead of going into the auditorium and causing a scene, they went up to the projection room. There, they watched a blonde woman in a black suit who appeared to be in her forties give a presentation on the Adipose pill.

When they left after the people in the auditorium had gone, the Doctor drew Martha to one side. "Look, we need to speak to someone whose been taking it. What about your Auntie? Vera was it?" Martha shook her head.

"Not a good idea, she madder than a bag full of wire hangers," she said and the Doctor raised an eyebrow. Interesting choice of phrase, he thought.

"Right then, we'll go upstairs and see if we can get some lists of customers, come on."

* * *

**Martha**

She and the Doctor had gone to two different reps, and unfortunately, both had been propositioned by them. Martha got to the printer first, and got her list, but when the Doctor went his printout wasn't there. Martha had seen a redheaded woman walking towards the printer just as she was leaving, so maybe the woman made a mistake and took the Doctor's sheet as well as her own.

It was no trouble to get the list printed again, and when they were outside they chose a Mr Roger Davey to go and see first. When they spoke to him, they found out something rather interesting.

"I've been on the pills two weeks, and I've lost fourteen kilos already," he told them and Martha exchanged a look with the Doctor.

"But that's the same amount every day," she said.

"One kilo exactly, you wake up and it's disappeared overnight. Well, technically speaking it's gone by ten past one in the morning." The man muttered the last part, but they both heard him.

"What makes you say that?" asked the Doctor.

"That's when I get woken up. Might as well weigh myself at the same time. It's driving me mad! Ten minutes past one every night, bang on the dot – without fail, the burglar alarm goes off."

Mr Davey took them outside to have a look at it, but whatever the Doctor thought he might see, he apparently didn't see it.

"I've had experts in, I've had it replaced, I've even phoned _Watchdog_, but no, ten past one in the morning, off it goes."

"Always no burglar?" the Doctor asked, though it was almost a statement instead of a question.

"Nothing, I've given up looking!" Mr Davey told him.

The Doctor looked back at the alarm and said, "Tell me Roger, have you got a cat flap?"

He nodded, surprised, and took them to see it. The Doctor got on the floor and looked through it, moving the flap with his sonic. Martha stood back, she knew he had things well in hand and she had no intention of going crawling about on this man's kitchen floor.

"It was here when I bought the house," Roger was telling the Doctor, "I never bother with it. I'm not a cat person," he declared.

"No, I've met cat people, you're nothing like them." The Doctor replied and Martha had to fight a snigger. She was thinking of Novice Hame. He was right; Roger Davey was nothing like a cat person.

"Do you think that's what it is then; cats getting inside the house?" he asked and the Doctor sighed.

"Well, the thing about cat flaps is, they don't just let things in, they let things out as well."

"Like what?" Roger asked, and Martha had an inkling of what the Doctor was driving at.

_'The fat just walks away...'_

She thought it just as the Doctor said it – a line from the presentation they'd seen earlier.

It was as they were on their way out, and she was advising Mr Davey to lay off the pills for a week or so that the Doctor got a signal on one of his gizmos. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the street.

"Got to go, sorry!" he shouted to Roger and off they went. They followed the signal along the suburban streets, running as fast as they could. Martha was glad she'd had so much practice at running in heels. They were nearly run down by a black van, and only jumped out of the way just in time. The signal they were following had moved though, and now seemed to be coming from the van, they ran after it, but lost it in an alleyway behind some houses.

They returned to the TARDIS, and Martha told the Doctor she was going to have a bath. He nodded, pulling out the capsule he'd taken from Adipose Industries, seemingly intent on examining it.

When Martha got to her room, she found that the TARDIS had taken matters into her own hands. The door which led to her room now led to a room she'd never seen before. There were stacks of books and odd gadgets everywhere, covering most of the available surfaces. However, against one of the walls was the most beautiful dressing table Martha had ever seen. On it were the antique brush, comb and mirror set she'd inherited from her great grandmother. Her makeup, toiletries and perfumes were there too, along with her jewellery box.

She crossed the large room, ignoring the elephant, (namely, the bed), and opened the wardrobe. One side was full of pinstripe suits, assorted shirts, ties and converse trainers. The other side had all her clothes and her shoes neatly lined up.

It was clear that the TARDIS had done this. She had decided that they should be sharing a room. It didn't take a genius to realise that this was the Doctor's bedroom. His private sanctuary, where he slept... suddenly she felt bad, like she was invading his space. She shut the doors of the wardrobe and rested her hands on them. She shouldn't be in here, but then, if this wasn't her room, why were all her things here?

"Martha?" She heard his voice behind her and couldn't help the mortified blush which blossomed on her face. He was standing in the doorway, hands in his pockets, looking confused. She felt her cheeks burn.

"Doctor, I, ah. Well you see, I opened the door to what I thought was my bedroom, and I ended up here, so. Um, well yeah," she said, hating how stupid she sounded.

"Oh," was all he said.

She waited.

* * *

**The Doctor**

He looked around, noting the changes. He saw feminine touches to his room where there were none before. He liked it. It made the room feel complete. Before it had felt somewhat hollow. It felt like the room of someone who was only living a half-life. It was fitting then, that the person who made him feel whole, the person he wanted to share everything he was with, would now also sleep beside him.

"Good," he said, "Looks nice, I like it. Are you alright with this? I have to admit, I would love waking up next to you every day," he said, surprising himself with his own honesty. Martha gave him such a look, that he felt his knees go week.

"I love it," she said softly. "And I love you," she added and he felt his chest swell proudly.

"Quite right too. Oh, Martha Jones, how I love you," he said, walking over to her and taking her hands in his. Placing a kiss on the back and the palm of each one, he looked deep into her eyes. "You complete me," he said, and then neither of them said anything for quite some time.

The only sounds in the room were the soft sighs and moans of two lovers as they danced that age old dance, accompanied by the humming of the ship that also felt complete now her two beloved doctors were joined, never to be parted.

* * *

**Martha**

The next morning they flew in the TARDIS to a side road near the Adipose building. As they exited, Martha noticed a small blue hatchback further up the road. They entered through a fire exit again, and Martha followed the Doctor while he hunted out a suitable hiding place. He wanted to wait until dark to have a look around.

Waiting in a cupboard was all well and good as plans go, but they had just under nine hours to kill. Martha wasn't half bored. The Doctor told her she couldn't speak, just in case someone might hear them. She whispered that they were in the basement, so it was unlikely, but he just shushed her.

Not one to let anyone order her around, she decided to amuse herself in the only way left open to her. She'd never had sex in a cupboard before, so at least she would be experiencing something new today, if nothing else.

The Doctor tried to resist at first, citing that they had to be on guard, but when she nibbled his ear in a way she knew inflamed him, he muttered, "Screw it," and kissed her with a passion that made her knees wobble.

* * *

They'd arrived at half past nine, at ten past six, the Doctor straightened his tie, ran his hand through his hair, tipped Martha a wink and then sonicked the door open. She finished adjusting her blouse and followed him out of the cupboard. Now _that _was what she called a satisfying day. She was inordinately pleased that she and the Doctor could match each other in terms of physical stamina.

Good thing too, really: since they were investigating something suspicious, copious amounts of running were bound to be involved.

They made their way up to the roof, and the Doctor pointed out a hoist which window cleaners used. No longer being scared of heights since she spontaneously sprouted wings, Martha smiled. "Lead the way good sir," she said and got into the cradle with his help.

For all the lofty powers she'd inherited, she was still short.

He started it up and they travelled down slowly until they could see a very large office through the widows. It looked like an executive's office, but just as the cradle stopped below the window line, the door opened and they ducked. The Doctor pulled his stethoscope from his pocket and pressed it to the side of the cradle. Martha waited silently, knowing he would fill her in later if necessary. The only bit she heard was when someone shouted a name – Miss Foster.

When the Doctor rose up to look at something through the window, Martha joined him. On the desk was a tiny lifeform. It looked a bit like a walking marshmallow or something like that. When she turned to look at the Doctor to get a read of what he was thinking, she noticed that he was staring across the room at the same ginger haired woman she'd seen by the printer earlier. They were having a conversation of sorts, and while the Doctor looked confused, the woman looked delighted to see him.

Martha studied her as they talked, and thought she looked like someone fun. Someone you'd love to go for a drink with. Unfortunately, she turned her head the other way and saw that the people in the office had noticed them. She grabbed the Doctor's arm and shook it to warn him. He mouthed to Donna that she should run, used the sonic to lock the office door through the window, and then used it to make the hoist pull them up, fast.

They got out onto the roof and rushed over to the entrance to the stairwell. A couple of floors down the redheaded woman met them, and she and the Doctor hugged.

"You haven't changed a bit!" she said, "You're even wearing the same suit. Don't you ever change?" She asked and Martha cut in.

"He's got a wardrobe full of identical ones." she said and the woman turned her attention to her. "Martha Jones," she introduced herself warmly.

"Donna Noble," the other woman told her, returning her greeting just as warmly.

"Of course, yes, Donna-Martha, Martha-Donna," the Doctor said, a bit redundantly. Donna rolled her eyes at him and Martha knew instantly that she was going to like this woman.

"Martha's my, well, she's, we're – " Since the Doctor seemed lost for words, she decided to help him out.

"He means I'm his girlfriend," she explained and Donna smiled. They were interrupted by the sound of gunfire and a crash below.

"Run!" the Doctor shouted and the two women exchanged grins, before dashing off up the stairs after him.

* * *

**The Doctor**

He was glad that there seemed to be no sign of resentment between the two ladies, not like when Rose had met Sarah-Jane. He had wanted to get his relationship with Martha out in the open, right from the off. He figured it was the best way to handle it. Donna hadn't batted an eyelid.

When they got back onto the roof, he ran over to the controls of the hoist they'd just jumped out of and locked the controls with a sonic cage.

All the while, as he was working, Donna was explaining what she was doing there. Martha was just watching, and smiling, though they did exchange a glance when Donna mentioned that the bees were disappearing.

He got back into the cradle and told the two women to join him. Martha was straight up the steps, though again, she needed his help to get in. He thought her figure was perfect, just the way it was, but he knew that sometimes she found her petite stature annoying. Like when she was buying clothes or getting into window cleaner's hoists.

Donna wasn't so enthusiastic, but he persuaded her to join them in the end. They were about a quarter of the way down when they started to fall uncontrollably. It took him a moment, but he was able to stop them. He tried to open a window so that they could get in that way, but the building had been deadlocked.

Donna told him to smash it, and started hitting it with a spanner. He tried moving it by force but wasn't getting anywhere. They felt a jolt as the woman on the roof started to cut the cables. A voice from behind made him jump a little.

"Move out of the way you two," Martha ordered and then he remembered. She seemingly ignored Donna's cries and focused on the window. Drawing her fist back, she gave it an almighty smack. It shattered instantly. It was hard to climb out while the Foster woman was still trying to cut the cables, so he looked up, took aim, and made her device spark so she dropped it. He caught it and stuffed it into one of his voluminous pockets. Once he and Martha were in, between them they were able to pull Donna through.

She in turn stared at Martha for a second. "That's quite the right hook you've got there," she said, smiling with gratitude.

Martha laughed.

They hauled themselves to their feet and began running through the open plan office, unfortunately they were caught by Miss Foster and her two goons. She commented that they must be off worlders because of the Doctor's sonic technology. He managed to get out of her that her real name was Matron Cophelia, and she had been employed by the Adiposian First Family to foster a new generation after their breeding planet was lost.

She turned a bit nasty, when the Doctor reminded her that seeding a Level Five planet was against galactic law. She threatened them with her goons who were pointing guns at them, but he facilitated their escape by holding the two sonic devices together.

It hurt, but he kept it going until Donna and Martha simultaneously grabbed him and yanked him out of the room.

They went back downstairs, to the cupboard he and Martha had been hiding in all day. When Martha wasn't seducing him, he'd been trying to hack into the computer core the Matron had installed in the building. Now that he had her sonic device, he could get access.

* * *

**Martha**

She couldn't help that once they were back in the same cupboard, despite the presence of another person, she felt a bit aroused. Knowing that the Doctor would be able to smell it, and realising that it would be an extremely unwelcome distraction just then, she did her best to clamp down on it.

She watched as he examined the computer, and listened as Donna told him about her life since they'd last seen each other. Then Donna turned to her, letting the Doctor get on with it, and asked about how they met.

"Oh, well, do you remember when that hospital was taken to the moon? I know a lot of people thought it was a hoax. Well, I was there, I was training there and he comes in with fake abdominal pains. When we got transported, I ended up helping him to find out what was going on. He offered me one trip in the TARDIS, to say thank you, and, well, I guess I never left," s he explained.

"A bit more to it than that, Martha," the Doctor piped up, turning for a second to glance at the two women. "She gave me her last breath, when we were trapped in that hospital. Revived me after I was knocked out," he said, and Donna raised her eyebrows and nodded. Martha blushed, embarrassed.

"Well, good for you. And what about the other, how did you get together?" she asked, with the kind of eager voice which identified the born gossip.

"Gosh, that's a long story. Tell you what we'll have a girls night, and I'll give you all the details then," she offered and Donna almost squealed.

"_All _the details?" the Doctor asked, looking alarmed. Martha laughed, Donna too. The Doctor looked even more alarmed at that. He turned back to the wiring and then addressed Donna.

"I thought you were going to travel the world," he asked and she went on to explain how that had been easier said than done.

She finished with, "I must have been mad to turn down that offer," she said.

"What offer?" The Doctor asked, still not looking at her.

"The offer to come with you," Donna clarified. This time he did turn round.

"Come with me?" He repeated and Donna jumped with delight.

"Oh, yes please!" she said and the Doctor glanced Martha's way. She smiled and nodded, so that he would know she was happy with the idea.

"Well, that's if it's alright with both of you, I mean, Martha I don't want to get in the way or nothing," Donna said, suddenly concerned.

"Donna, it's fine with me. I'm quite looking forward to it. I miss the company of another woman sometimes," she lamented.

The Matron activating the inducer interrupted their conversation, and the Doctor explained how the Matron was planning to up the stakes to emergency parthenogenesis, causing one million people to die. He used one of the gold capsules the company had been giving away as free gifts which his analysis had shown to contain the primary signal, to cut off the inducer. Unfortunately, Matron Cophelia was on to him and doubled the strength of the signal.

The Doctor staggered back as he shouted about not being able to stop it, and how all those people were going to die. Martha thought she might be able to short circuit it, but had no idea what that would do to the million people affected, or to her. She thought it best not to try.

Donna proved herself to be of stern stuff when she managed to get through to the Doctor while he was in frenzy. He told her he needed a second capsule, and she calmly pulled one out of her jacket pocket. He saw it, laughed, and then attached it to the inducer. The whole thing shut down in seconds.

Moments later they heard strange noises from above, and the Doctor identified it as the Nursery Ship arriving. The computer switched back on, and a signal came through with instructions from the Adiposian First Family.

Apparently, it was bad news for Matron Cophelia. The Adiposians knew that it was illegal to seed a Level Five planet, and to avoid trouble with the Shadow Proclamation, they were planning to eliminate the evidence. Especially their accomplice.

This meant it was back up to the roof again. Martha was getting seriously sick of the sight of the roof of this building. When they got there, they saw the Adipose babies being levitated into the Nursery Ship. Donna asked if the Doctor was going to blow them up or something, and he told her no.

"They're just children; they can't help where they come from."

"Well, that makes a change from last time," Donna noted, and nodded to Martha. "She must be good for you," she said and the Doctor put his hand out to Martha and pulled her close.

"Yeah, she is," he said, looking at her with something like adoration in his eyes. One of the babies near them waved and the three of them waved back.

"I'm waving at fat," Donna said, looking up at the baby as it headed towards the ship.

"Actually, as a diet plan, it sort of works." The Doctor observed, before he spotted the Matron and ran over to her. The Doctor tried to persuade her to get over to the roof, but she refused. When he told her what the Adiposians had in mind, she didn't believe him.

When the beam cut off, Martha marshalled her power and zipped across the air between them. She pulled the matron back with her, and the two of them landed on the hard concrete. Martha got rid of her wings before anyone got a good look at them, though she knew the Doctor would realise what she had done.

Matron Cophelia watched with them as the Nursery Ship flew away, all the while complaining at being thrown to the ground.

When the ship had disappeared from sight she huffed and put her hands on her hips. "How am I supposed to get home now?" she demanded, glaring at them all.

"Would you rather be dead, Cophelia?" Martha asked quietly and the woman softened.

"No, I, of course not, but I'm stuck here, aren't I? Unless, well, you're off worlders, can't you give me a lift?"

* * *

When they got back to the TARDIS, they discovered that the car Martha had noticed that morning was Donna's. It was a niggling coincidence, but coming on top of the fact that they'd already had the coincidence of meeting Donna at Adipose Industries, it sparked another exchange of glances between Martha and the Doctor.

The Matron stood by, still sulking, as Donna unloaded a stack of cases from the boot of her car. Martha and the Doctor carried them into the TARDIS while Donna went off to do something with her Mum's car keys.

When she got back, she asked if they could fly to the hill where her granddad was star gazing. She waved goodbye to him from the doors of the TARDIS, the Doctor and Martha just behind her. They waved too, and smiled as he did a happy dance on the ground below.

This seen to, the Doctor went to speak with Matron Cophelia to find out where she wanted dropping off. Martha helped Donna with her luggage, and led the way into the living area of the TARDIS.

"That's mine and the Doctor's room," she said, pointing to a door as they passed it, "And here's what I think is the nicest guest room, but if you don't like it, just tell me," she said, opening the door and revealing a room which wouldn't have been out of place in the Dorchester Hotel. It had a sitting area, a luxurious and large en suite bathroom, and a gorgeous double bed.

"What do you think? Is it alright?" Martha asked, knowing that her own taste may not necessarily coincide with Donna's. They felt a jolt as they entered the vortex, and Martha watched as Donna looked around with amazement.

"It's brilliant, I love it," she said and Martha smiled.

"Well, I'll leave you to settle in. I'm sure his nibs can handle one outer space super nanny, so I'm going to go to our room and freshen up a little. Do knock if you want anything. I can give you the basic tour later, if you want. I say basic because this place is _huge_, and even I haven't seen all of it yet. I doubt the Doctor has, in fact. But still, I can show you the kitchen, the wardrobe for if we need special outfits, and all that. Sound OK to you?"

Donna nodded and Martha left her to unpack in peace. Closing the door of the bedroom she shared with her lover, she took off her shoes and put them back in their place in the wardrobe. Entering the bathroom, she decided to indulge herself and run a bath. They had been especially active today, what with all the running and the... _other _things they'd got up to, and she would enjoy the chance to soak in the hot water.

Sometime later, after she'd been soaking for what felt like hours, she heard the bedroom door open and close. She heard the Doctor call out for her, and yelled that she was in the bath. He opened the door and looked at her. Most of the bubbles had disappeared; she'd been in there for so long. He ran an appreciative glance down her body, but made no move to act on it. Instead he treated her to a soft smile.

"Don't get dressed when you get out. I think my lovely Martha deserves a backrub after all her hard work today."

* * *

**_To be continued..._**


	7. Part Seven: Planet of the Ood

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction story and not written for any financial gain of any kind. All rights to Doctor Who and any associated material belong to the BBC and any other affiliated entities. Thanks. Also, the story of Lady Silverhair comes from Neverwinter Nights 2, which is the property of Atari, Obsidian, Wizards of the Coast and any other involved parties.**

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**A/N: OK, if you've read this far you know that this is a blatant Super!Martha fic, nd is a Martha/10th Doctor romance. Please hit the back button if either of these things offends you. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, it means a lot to me. Thank you also to Haleine Delail for being a source of great inspiration and great stories!**

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**This is now the edited version, beta read by the brilliant Persiflage - thanks for all your hard work!**

* * *

**Part Seven: **Planet of the Ood

* * *

"He who is brave is free."

**Seneca**

* * *

**Martha**

For the three living on board the TARDIS, life had not been very easy just lately. For Donna's first trip the Doctor had suggested they go to Ancient Rome. Unfortunately, the coordinates had been off and they'd landed in Pompeii.

They arrived – in Pompeii – just twenty four hours before Vesuvius was supposed to blow and the Doctor's refusal to interfere and stop the destruction of the city caused a rift to form between him and Donna. As for Martha, well, she could identify with both points of view, and could see why each of them felt so strongly that they were right.

The human who still lived in Martha agreed with Donna that the eruption was a tragedy, but the celestial in her also had the long view, similar to the Doctor's, and knew that some things just had to be. They could not be changed, they could not be undone. They just _were_.

Things had deteriorated between them pretty quickly, with one or the other trying to get her to take a side, but she adamantly refused to. Part of her thought they were being ridiculously childish, and accused them of belittling the deaths of twenty thousand people with their bickering. But again, she could relate. By focussing on the little things they could pretend not to notice the awful truth which hung in the air.

They'd left the TARDIS behind a curtain in a market place, and when the stall holder decided to sell it and they'd gone to Fosse Street – where the purchaser purportedly lived – to try and get it back, one whiff of the so-called 'vapours' coming through the grate in the Caecilian household set Martha's eyes ablaze.

Donna and the Doctor had told her what had happened from their point of view. She had stood transfixed for a moment, before her eyes glowed and she hissed. Just like a cat, and growled out one word. "Pyrovile!"

Examination of her inherited memories told her that Lady Silverhair had come across them before, when they were trying to conquer Abeir-Toril. She had led an army of elves, dwarves and elementals against them, using bow, axe and ice to subdue them. It hadn't stopped them from murdering thousands, as they had worked in secret for years, taking over the bodies of those they had duped into believing that they were gods. But they were eradicated from the planet in the end, and were the sworn enemies of all Abeir-Torillians.

She told the Doctor and Donna all of this, and offered the theory that the Pyroviles were up to the same tricks here on Earth. They were interrupted by the arrival of a guest, a man named Lucius Dextrus, who was introduced as the city's Chief Augur.

The daughter of the household, Evelina was also a seer, and the two of them practically competed as they tried to out-predict each other. They'd sussed the Doctor and Donna pretty quickly, but she herself gave them a little trouble.

"You too are a daughter of London, no you are a daughter of – why are you – you shine, you radiate, you are..." Lucius had stopped here, clutching his head, unable to bear looking at her.

"You are the Moon," Evelina said, and Martha had answered, "No, not quite, but you're close, I'll give you that."

Later, they had discovered that the Pyroviles intended on assimilating everyone on the planet and turning them into Pyroviles. The only way to stop them was to cause Vesuvius to erupt and kill twenty thousand people.

Donna, at the last minute, had persuaded the Doctor to save Caecilius and his family, and the seven of them stood on the high hills and watched Pompeii being destroyed.

When they had left, in the TARDIS, the Doctor just let them float in the Vortex. They all made for their bedrooms, needing some time to think. In the privacy of their own bedroom, the Doctor clung to Martha and cried.

For the next several days, he awoke in the night, covered in cold sweat, calling out for absolution, unable to accept the choice he had made. Martha held him, listened to him and let him mourn. She mourned too, they had pushed the lever which set off the explosion together. But for the Doctor, the pain was so much more intense, because it was so similar to what he had done in order to end the Time War.

They weren't alone with their pain though. A couple of nights, it had been too much for Donna as well, and the three of them had slept side by side in Martha and the Doctor's bed, taking comfort from each other, just by being close to each other.

They grew closer together emotionally as well, during those long days. The Doctor confessed that he saw Donna as a sister. Sometimes, despite the age difference, he felt like she was his big sister. Martha admitted that she too felt the same way. They all had a good laugh when Donna said they were both so nutty that even she would have disowned them if they were her family.

It had been just what they needed.

Things got better, they did. But Martha knew that the events in Pompeii would never leave them. In time though, they were ready to move on, to go somewhere new. So, with that in mind, the Doctor had set the controls to random and away they went.

* * *

As they got thrown about during the flight, all three of the just let go and enjoyed it – laughing and rolling about, they whooped as they felt themselves land.

The weather outside wasn't ideal, but the view was spectacular. Both Martha and Donna felt the need to go back for warm coats, and though they knew they looked slightly comical with their big faux fur lined hoods at least they were warm.

A rocket passed overhead while they were talking, and Donna was desperate to go and have a look at it. Martha could understand why, it looked like the sort of thing you would see in cartoons and such. They set off in the direction it had gone, crossing ravines and the like on the way. When they reached a large snowdrift, both she and the Doctor stopped abruptly.

They could hear a noise, coming from nearby, it sounded like a song. Donna couldn't hear it, but dutifully followed as the two of them tried to find where it was coming from.

They discovered a stricken life form, half covered in snow, and badly wounded. They examined him, trying to see if there was anything they could do.

"What is it?" Donna asked as Martha knelt down beside it. She held her hand out and the Doctor automatically passed her his stethoscope.

"It's an Ood, it's called an Ood," He explained and Donna stared at it.

"But its face!" she protested.

"Donna don't, not now – it's a he, not an it," the Doctor scolded and Donna looked appropriately sheepish.

"Come here, give us a hand," Martha said, looking over her shoulder. She was pressing the stethoscope to the Ood's chest but she didn't know where his heart was or if he even had one. She took the stethoscope off and handed it back to the Doctor. She pressed her palms to his chest instead and used her power to scan him.

"He's been shot," she told Donna and the Doctor. Sadly, there was nothing she could do, there was just too much damage. She removed her hands and shook her head sadly at the Doctor.

Donna had been talking to the Ood, who had introduced himself as designated 'Delta-Fifty'. The only other thing he said was, '_The circle must be broken_'. When the Doctor tried to press him on what he meant by that, his eyes had turned red and he'd lashed out at them. A moment later, he was dead.

Donna asked if they should bury him, but there was no need, the snow would take care of it. So, Donna closed his eyes and they left.

As they were walking, heading the same way as before, the Doctor told them about the time when he had met the Ood before. It was when they had been being controlled by the Devil. Donna didn't believe him, but having heard this story before, Martha knew it was true.

He explained that they were mildly telepathic, which in turn explained the song that he and Martha could hear. Donna said she didn't hear anything, but did not question why Martha had and not her – because she already knew the answer.

During their talks while they recovered from the events in Pompeii, the truth about Martha and what she was had been explained to Donna. She had been expecting fear, or ridicule, or anything in between as a reaction, but Donna had been nonchalance itself.

"Well, it explains why you and space-man go so well together," was all she had said, and that had been that.

They had spied some kind of installation in the distance, and decided to go down and check it out.

When they got there they found an Asian looking woman was greeting a crowd of people. They hurriedly joined in, eager to know what was going on.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Ood Sphere, and isn't it bracing? Here are your information packs with vouchers, 3-d tickets and maps of the complex. My name's Solana, Head of Marketing I'm sure we've all spoken on the vid phone, now if you'd like to follow me – "

Here she was interrupted by the Doctor, "Sorry. Sorry, sorry, we're late, don't mind us."

"And you'd be?" she asked, and the Doctor held up the psychic paper.

"I'm Doctor Smith, she's Doctor Jones, and this is Donna Noble."

"Representing the Noble Corporation Plc Limited Intergalactic," Donna added. The Doctor's smile hardened a little.

"Must have fallen off my list, won't happen again," Solana said, as she gestured to a nearby Ood, who promptly handed her a clear plastic folder. "Here are you information packs, vouchers inside. Now, if you'd like to come with me, the executive suites are nice and warm."

A siren went off just as she'd opened the door, but Solana dismissed it as a notice that the work shift was due to change. When they got inside, she gave them a presentation on the Ood and what their company, Ood Operations, had to offer.

When she was finished, the three of them went to the screen she had been using which the Doctor then activated, wanting to see where exactly they were. He also discovered _when _they were, the year 4126, which Donna had a hard time getting her head round.

When he showed them how the humans had spread over three galaxies, she also asked what Martha thought was a rather poignant question, "Are we explorers, or more like a virus?"

"Sometimes, I wonder," the Doctor told her, and reached an arm out to pull Martha closer.

"So, what are those red dots?" Martha asked.

"Ood distribution centres," he explained.

"Don't the Ood get say in this?" Donna wanted to know. She made her way over to an Ood who was standing nearby and tried to get his attention. "Excuse me, hello! Tell me, are you all like this?"

"I do not understand, miss," the Ood replied and Donna frowned.

"Why'd you say miss, do I look single?" she retorted and Martha smothered a chuckle.

"Back to the point," the Doctor prompted.

"Yeah, what I mean is, aren't there any free Ood anywhere? Are there Ood running wild somewhere, like wildebeests?"

"All Ood are born to serve, otherwise we would die," he told them. Martha frowned and glanced at the Doctor briefly.

"But you can't have started out that way, before the humans, what were you like?" she protested, and the Doctor squeezed her hand.

The Ood they were talking to flinched suddenly, then his translator ball lit up and he said, "The circle, the, the circle."

"What do you mean, what circle?" the Doctor asked but was interrupted by Solana's voice. She was calling for all the Ood to go to the hospitality stations, and the Ood they had been speaking to promptly walked away. They looked at each other for a moment, and then the Doctor said he'd had enough of schmoozing, and suggested they go off the beaten track. Both ladies agreed so they left the party and went looking for whatever might be out there to find.

* * *

**Donna**

When she had first discovered the Doctor had got himself a girlfriend, she had been worried it would mean she wasn't wanted in the TARDIS with them. She'd never thought of him that way, romantically, that is, so it had been something of a surprise when she saw him holding hands with Martha.

In short order though, she'd discovered that Martha was a great person – brilliant and funny, but not one to rub it in your face if you didn't know or understand something. Pompeii had been hard on all of them and she was grateful to the Doctor and Martha for helping her get through it. She was glad that they had closed ranks and been there for each other. When one of them was suffering with a nightmare, or just generally feeling down, the other two were usually there to help pick them up. And the times when all three of them would break down, well, the TARDIS was there, watching over them, like a mother.

If someone had said to her, even a week before, that she would happily sleep in a bed with an alien and his half alien girlfriend, and not think it weird, she would have sent them to the funny farm. But it didn't feel weird. It felt like being part of a family. At one point, she even felt like the three of them, sleeping there, were like triplets, though she let go of that thought pretty quickly, since it made her feel a bit funny about the Doctor's relationship with Martha.

But, they'd weathered the storm, and come out the other side stronger, better. And though they were still hurting, still a bit damaged, they kept going. To her, that was important.

She and Martha had had the girly night they'd promised themselves in the Adipose building. The two of them had shared drinks and nibbles in the TARDIS' observatory, looking out at the stars. Martha had not held anything back, she'd answered all of Donna's questions. Having said that, Donna hadn't asked for every _little_ detail – she'd not got right down to the nitty gritty, since it felt like they were talking about her brother. No one wants to think about their brother having sex.

But, she knew about it all now. What had happened in the Royal Hope, the thing with Shakespeare. Being kidnapped in New New York, the Daleks, and Professor Lazarus, the ship which was sinking into the sun, and then looking after the Doctor while he was trapped as a human in 1913.

The look in Martha's eyes when she talked about those times, working as a maid for a man she was beginning to love and watching him fall in love with someone else, well, her eyes told Donna just how devastating it had been for her.

Then had come 1969, the time when everything changed for her. Martha admitted privately to Donna that one of the reasons she'd taken the power was because it was like a sort of 'up yours' to the Doctor. To prove that she was just as good as him, and didn't need him. And while it that have been satisfying, from a revenge point of view – to rub it in his face that she was just as powerful as him - Martha was much happier with the way things had worked out.

Donna was remembering all this as she walked with her two favourite people, well, after her granddad that was, and she smiled at Martha while they waited for the Doctor to open a gate.

As they trundled through the snow, they saw the truth of what was really happening here. The Ood were not servants, they were slaves. They entered one of the warehouses and found it to be full of containers which looked like the ones you might see at the docks back home. She was horrified when the Doctor told her that they were chock full of Ood – Ood who were waiting to be shipped off all over the '_Great and Bountiful Human Empire'._

They opened one of the containers and found rows upon rows of Ood, there must have been over a hundred in there. She asked them why they didn't just leave, didn't run away since the door was open, and then the Ood confessed the spine chilling truth: that they did not understand the concept of freedom.

* * *

**The Doctor**

When he asked the Ood in the container about the circle, he was not expecting the reaction he got. Every Ood spoke at the same time: "The circle must be broken."

When he asked again, they only repeated the same thing. He asked why – why the circle had to be broken and they, again simultaneously said, "So we can sing."

"That's creepy," Donna observed, and he wondered then why Martha hadn't said anything. When he turned to look at her, she had tears coursing down her cheeks.

"Can't you hear it?" she muttered, placing her hands on either side of her head. "They're screaming!" she cried, hunching over. Seconds later, she stood up straight and wiped her eyes.

He and Donna were looking at her, both severely worried, and she hurried to reassure them she was just fine. "I'm sorry, I – I was just overwhelmed by the song, I let it in, too far, then all I could hear was their pain. But it's OK, the TARDIS helped me balance it out."

He wasn't completely convinced that she was alright, but accepted her word, for now. An alarm blared out telling him that they'd been discovered. They started running. The next few minutes were a blur. Somehow they got separated – Martha and Donna ended up who knew where, whereas he got chased around the warehouse by a giant crane.

He gave a good chase, but he stumbled and the thing nearly got him. Just as he was about to get grabbed by it, it stopped. Guards came and pulled him up, dragging him who knew where. He could hear Donna calling out to him, interspersed with bangs that sounding like something heavy hitting metal. Just as they passed yet another row of the containers, the door of one flew off and nearly took a guard out before hitting the floor.

Martha calmly stepped out of the container, red eyed Ood not far behind her. Ignoring the flabbergasted security guards, she crossed to the container opposite, from which the sound of Donna shouting could be heard and pushing one of the guards out of her way, she yanked the door off its hinges.

The red-eyed Ood attacked, distracting the guards, so the three of them took the opportunity to run away. Solana, the Head of Marketing was right behind them. Once they were out of sight, the Doctor turned and began to question her.

"Solana the Ood aren't born like this, they couldn't be. A species born to serve would never have evolved in the first place. What does the company do to make them obey?"

"That's nothing to do with me!" she retorted indignantly.

He gave her a look full of contempt, "Oh, what? Because you don't ask?

"That's Dr Ryder's territory," She told him.

"And where's he?" he asked, getting out the map they'd been given earlier, "What part of the complex?" She hesitated, "I could help you, with the red-eye, now show me!" he demanded.

She pointed on the map. "There, beyond the red section."

"Come with me," he offered earnestly, "You've seen the warehouse, you know this isn't right. You know this place better than me, you could help," he insisted.

She looked at him for a long time, while Martha and Donna watched her. Then she raised her voice to shout, "They're over here! Guards! They're over here!"

She had made her choice.

* * *

**Martha**

She could sort of understand why Solana had chosen as she had, but at the same time, she knew what she wouldn't have done the same, were she in her place. Solana was scared of taking a chance, of fighting against the system she worked for – of stepping into the unknown.

She and Donna were different. They stepped into the unknown every day, willingly – gladly, in fact. Life with the Doctor was all about the unknown. However, she reminded herself, that since they were currently running from the guards and to the place Solana had told them Dr Ryder worked, now was not the best time for her to be ruminating on the motives of a woman she'd likely never see again.

As they got closer, the song which had so overwhelmed her earlier got louder. "Doctor, can you hear it? We're getting closer!" she yelled and he looked over his shoulder at her.

"You're right, we didn't need the map - we just needed to listen!" He paused, then, "This way!" he said and the three of them turned a corner and stopped by a door. He opened it, and the song grew louder still. She could tell by the look on his face that he could hear it clearly now too.

Equally, she could tell that Donna could not. And considering what the song sounded like, its heart breaking melody, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. Not that she thought Donna wouldn't be able to handle it, but why subject her to something so sad if they didn't have to?

They made their way down some stairs, and when they got to the bottom, both she and the Doctor scrunched their faces at the impact of the singing. He shone the torch he'd got out of one of his pockets around, and they saw a group of Ood huddling in a cage. They made their way over, turned a light on, and crouched in front of them.

At first, the Ood flinched away from them.

"They look different to the others," Donna noted.

"That's because they're in their natural form, before they're adapted to slavery – unspoilt."

"That's their song," Martha said, feeling her eyes go glassy as she listened.

"I can't hear it," Donna asserted and the Doctor turned to face her. "Do you want to?" he offered.

Martha watched as Donna decided, "Yeah."

"It's the song of captivity," she warned.

"Let me hear it," Donna insisted, and the Doctor placed his hands on her temples.

"That's it open your mind," he murmured.

The three of them, crouched in front of the tiny cage the Ood were being kept in, listened together, and felt their hearts shatter with the sadness. The Ood watched them in return.

Donna was crying, "Take it away," she sobbed.

"Are you sure?" the Doctor asked, and she told him she couldn't bear it. He reversed the process and Martha imagined that the song was now gone from Donna's mind.

"I'm sorry," she paused, "But you two can still hear it," she noted.

"All the time," Martha said softly, her eyes not leaving the bent heads of the Ood. She reached out to the Doctor and he gripped her hand, fairly clinging to it, like a life-line. She could appreciate how he felt. Noises from outside announced the arrival of company workers, it sounded as though they were breaking in.

The Doctor said to let them break in, he didn't care. He opened the door of the cage and they went in, sitting with the Ood.

"What are you holding?" he asked one of them, referring to the fact that each of them had something in their hands which they held out before them. "We're friends," he asserted, "Doctor, Donna, Martha – friends," he said, pointing at each of them in turn.

He coaxed it forward, discovering that they held a hind brain in their hands. He explained to Donna that it was the part of the brain which held all the emotion, memory – the personality – strip it away and you lost who you were, "Like a lobotomy," Martha clarified.

Even so, the Doctor said that had to be a third link in the chain, because otherwise a creature with a front brain and a separate hind brain would always be at war with itself.

The guards and the boss – a Mr Halpen found them, and took them away. The three of them were cuffed to some pipes in an office and Mr Halpen accused them of being activists.

He tried to defend his position by saying that the Ood were nothing before the humans came along – just animals, roaming across the ice and snow – and that they hadn't put up much resistance when they were conquered. Donna pointed out the stupidity of that assertion rather nicely, Martha thought.

"You idiot! They're born with their brains in their hands! Don't you see? That makes them peaceful. They've got to be! Because a creature like that would have to trust anyone it meets!"

"Nice one!" the Doctor and Martha complimented her, and she whispered a 'thank you' in return.

"The system has worked for two hundred years; all we've got is a rogue batch. The system is about to be sterilised." Halpen activated what must have been a communications device on his watch and asked, "Mr Kess how do we stand?"

A voice filtered back, "_Canisters primed sir. As soon as the core heats up, the gas is released. Give it two hundred marks."_

"You're going to gas them!" the Doctor shouted outraged.

"Kill the livestock. The classic foot and mouth solution from the old days – it still works," Halpen replied nonchalantly. All three of them were horrified and glared at him, not knowing what else to do.

Martha thought she might be able to break the cuffs on her, but wasn't sure what would happen then. She wasn't at all sure she could survive a gunshot wound, and figured that if she broke free now, that's what would be waiting for her.

An alarm sounded, Mr Halpen ran off to investigate. When he came back it seemed as though a revolution was going on outside and he left with Dr Ryder, claiming that if he killed them now it would look too suspicious if there was in investigation afterwards, so he was leaving them at the mercy of the Ood.

When they had left, Martha went to work on her cuffs. Donna was shouting at the Doctor asking why he didn't do something – surely he had met Houdini? He countered with the fact that the cuffs were of rather high quality.

"Yes, so I'm noticing," Martha added, before with one last great wrench, she yanked her hands free. She'd cut the insides of her arms a little, though the scrapes were healing before her eyes.

"Great, now do me! Do me!" Donna shouted and Martha hesitated.

"I've only got brute force to use; I might rip your hands off!" she said, looking to the Doctor.

"Get my sonic, is it's in my left inner jacket pocket, setting number – " He was cut off when the door opposite them opened and several red eyed Ood entered.

They stared with fascinated horror for a moment, before frantically trying to pull themselves free yet again. "I don't care, pull me hands of if you have to!" Donna shouted at Martha. She reached into the Doctor's jacket and pulled out the sonic, but before she could do anything, the Ood were nearly upon them.

They cried out, "Doctor-Donna-Martha-friend," and "The circle must be broken," hoping desperately that the Ood would realise who they were and back down. Luckily, they did, and they let them go.

Trouble was, when they got outside, they didn't know where to go from there – they had no idea where Mr Halpen and Dr Ryder were, or what they were up to. An explosion behind them knocked them off their feet, and when the smoke cleared, they saw Ood Sigma – Mr Halpen's personal Ood.

He knew where his 'boss' was going, and he led them straight there. Once inside, they found what just what the Doctor had been looking for.

* * *

**Donna**

"The Ood brain. Now it all makes sense – this is it, the missing link – the third element, binding them together, fore brain, hind brain and this. It's the telepathic centre, a shared mind – connecting all the Ood together in song."

Halpen appeared as the Doctor was speaking and he was pointing a gun at them. She and Martha pointed out that the pylons surrounding the brain were in a circle – _the circle must be broken_.

It all came out in the wash then – how an earlier generation of Halpen's family had found the Ood brain under a glacier in the north, and dampened the telepathic field, stopping the Ood from connecting to each other for two hundred years. How he now intended to blow up the Ood brain, killing every single Ood at the same time. Then they discovered Dr Ryder was a 'Friend of the Ood', and had lowered the field surrounding the brain when Mr Halpen had given him access to the controls.

After his admission, Halpen tried to throw Dr Ryder over the railings, but Martha was there to stop him, moving so fast that Donna could barely believe her eyes. Martha pushed Dr Ryder behind her, and stared Mr Halpen dead in the eye as he pointed his gun at her face.

Donna herself had to stop the Doctor from attacking Mr Halpen. But then, something else happened. Ood Sigma kept insisting on getting him a drink, and Mr Halpen started pulling out clumps of his own hair. He sounded like he was choking at the same time, and he dropped his gun, bending over, as if in pain. He peeled the skin of his head back, like he was peeling a satsuma, and when he raised his head once more, he had become _an Ood_!

It was funny, but being with the Doctor and Martha, she wasn't sure what was right and what was wrong anymore, and she told them so.

"It's better that way," Martha said.

"People who know for sure tend to be like Mr Halpen," the Doctor added.

The beeping of the mines Mr Halpen had placed around the area alerted them to the problem which still remained. The Doctor disabled them in a flash, and then he turned to face Ood Sigma.

"Sigma, would you allow me the honour?" he asked eagerly.

"It is yours, Doctor." Sigma told him.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor shouted, jumping around like a child. Donna glanced at Martha, who was watching the Doctor with a fond smile. After Pompeii and everything which had happened there, this was something of a cathartic moment, for all of them.

The Doctor was at the controls of the telepathic field, "Stifled for two hundred years, but not anymore! The circle is broken – the Ood can sing!"

This time Donna could hear the song herself, with no help needed from the Doctor.

* * *

**The Doctor**

They were standing in front of the TARDIS. Sigma and a group of other Ood had come with them to say goodbye.

"The message has gone out. That song resonated across the galaxies, everyone heard it. Everyone knows. The rockets are bringing them back. The Ood are coming home."

Sigma raised his translation ball. "We thank you Doctor-Donna-Martha, friends of Oodkind. And what of you now? Will you stay? There is room in the song for you."

He smiled, but shook his head, "No, but thanks, I've sort of got a song of my own."

Sigma nodded. "Yet, your song is ending," then he looked to Martha, and then Donna, "But a new one is only just beginning."

He was shocked for a moment, but then he knew Sigma was right. Something new was only just beginning. He'd found the love of a mate with Martha, maybe one day would even be his wife, they might even, well, they might have children. And he'd found the love of a sibling with Donna. Yes, this was vastly different to his old song; this was something new, something exciting. This song was one of hope, whereas the old one had been a song of sorrow.

"Well, we'll be off then," he said, nodding towards the TARDIS.

"Take this song with you," Sigma said, "And know this Doctor-Donna-Martha, you will never be forgotten. Our children will sing of the Doctor-Donna-Martha, and the wind and the ice and the snow will carry your names forever."

When they were back in the TARDIS and hanging in the vortex, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief. Martha plonked herself down on one of the chairs, Donna next to her. He leaned back on the controls of the TARDIS, moving the scanner out of the way.

"Hell of a day," he said, though he was more thinking out loud than anything else.

"You can say that again," Donna muttered.

"But don't" Martha cut in, clearly interpreting some look in his eyes or something like that which told her he was about to do exactly that.

"Overall, I would say it was a good day," Donna said, and Martha nodded.

"It was, it was tough, to be sure, but the Ood are free now, and well, it makes it all worth it, I think." Donna agreed with an 'Mmm.'

He was happy to be silent for once, letting the women speak.

"I could do with some downtime though," Donna said after a moment.

Martha propped her head up with her hand, resting her elbow on the railing behind her. She yawned, which in turn sparked Donna off. Funny how yawns could be contagious, and how even the mention of a yawn could get others yawning.

"I think I will have a bath and then see. How about Monopoly in the games room in an hour and half?" she suggested. Donna considered it for a moment.

"Alright, I mean, I know he'll win, but it should be a laugh anyway," she said, dragging herself to her feet and shuffling out of the room, ignoring his protest of 'Hey!' when she complained about his Monopoly skills.

He didn't have much time to think about it though, because suddenly his arms were filled with a warm and lethargic Martha.

She pulled his face down to hers for a lingering kiss, and when she pulled back, she smiled up at him and said, "Hello you,"

"Hey," he returned with a grin. Then, "Any room in that bath for me?"


	8. Part Eight: Tiffany and the Leonids

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction story and not written for any financial gain of any kind. All rights to Doctor Who and any associated material belong to the BBC and any other affiliated entities. Thanks. Also, the story of Lady Silverhair comes from Neverwinter Nights 2, which is the property of Atari, Obsidian, Wizards of the Coast and any other involved parties.**

* * *

**A/N: OK, if you've read this far you know that this is a blatant Super!Martha fic, and is a Martha/10th Doctor romance. So I shouldn't need to tell you to hit the back button if either of these things offends you. Please also be aware that this an AU so will not completely follow canon episodes. **

**Lastly, apologies for the delay in posting. I've been working with Persiflage who has very kindly beta read all the previous chapters, all of which should have been replaced now with the revised versions. Thanks ever so much, Pers, for your patience and help.**

* * *

**Part Eight: **Tiffany and the Leonids

* * *

"We all sorely complain of the shortness of time, and yet have much more than we know what to do with. Our lives are either spent in doing nothing at all, or in doing nothing to the purpose, or in doing nothing that we ought to do. We are always complaining that our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end of them."

**Seneca**

* * *

**Donna**

She was walking down the corridor from her room en route to the control room. The Doctor was in there, tinkering, and she was going to ask him where they would be heading next. She had no idea where Martha was, but knew she could be anywhere, doing her own thing.

Martha did not constantly hang off the Doctor's arm, relying on him to define her, to give her worth. Donna was aware that Martha was extremely connected to the TARDIS, and that for several hours day, when they weren't on some alien planet running for their lives, she and the TARDIS worked together on developing Martha's powers.

Sometimes it could involve Martha filling a room with random bits of debris they picked up in space and attempting to blow them to bits, other times, she would sit with her eyes closed for hours. Literally, _hours_. Donna could pass her once, come back four hours later, and she would not have moved a hair.

Martha had told her that during this time, she and the TARDIS would build channels in her mind so that she could direct her power more purposefully, thus developing the fine control she needed so as to not tire herself out when she did something like flying.

Now _that _was something she still wasn't used to – Martha whizzing by her with no warning! She could be walking back from the kitchen with a cup of tea and a _whoop _in the distance would be the only indication before Martha rocketed by overhead or by the side of her. The last time that happened Donna had yelled out that she was going to _'put a bell round your bloody neck!'_

In some ways though, she _had _got used to it. After all, Martha was part and parcel of living in the TARDIS with the Doctor. Though they did not spend every waking minute together, you did not get one without the other.

And on the plus side, at least life with the two of them was never dull. She could see a huge change in the Doctor as well. Such as, when she first met him, it had been all doe eyes, and weepy weepy with him. But now, he was smiling practically all the time!

True, there had been bad times – he hadn't smiled in Pompeii. Nor had he smiled on the Ood Sphere, when they found out the truth of what was happening to the Ood. Yet neither did he sit around, pining for a woman who was forever beyond his reach.

In a rare moment of openness, he'd actually admitted to Donna that when he thought of Rose now, he remembered her fondly, he remembered the good times, and he wished her well. He said that he hoped that she had moved on with her life, and that she was happy.

Donna did venture to suggest that perhaps it wouldn't be that easy for Rose, after all, the Doctor was a force of nature; you did not forget him in a hurry. But she knew what the change in his feelings meant – he had accepted the situation, something she had not previously been sure he would ever be able to do.

As she passed the door to the bedroom Martha and the Doctor shared, she noticed it was slightly ajar. She could hear retching coming from the room and rushed straight in. She had no worries that either the Doctor or Martha would think she was invading their privacy. Christ, she'd slept in that bed with them enough times when they were grieving over Pompeii. The three of them had clung to each other, though there was nothing at all sexual about it. It had been mutual comfort, it had been solace.

She found Martha in the bathroom, hunched over the toilet and looking miserable. She was at her side in an instant, rubbing her back and holding her hair out of her face. When Martha sat back she automatically leaned on Donna.

Donna twisted her head slightly to see if there was anything nearby she could use to wipe Martha's face for her. There were some of those makeup remover tissues on a shelf behind her, so she reached up to get them. She opened the packet, and pulled one out, glad that they were the moistened kind. She knew from experience that when you were throwing up, a sweaty, clammy face only made you feel worse.

She mopped Martha's brow, as it were, and waited for her to speak. She thought she had an inkling of what might have caused this bout of nausea.

* * *

**Martha**

"It was stupidly short sighted of me, but I didn't think this could happen," Martha said softly, rubbing her stomach in a revealing way.

"I see. Did you not use anything then?" she asked and Martha shook her head.

"No, we did. Just, not every single time. That cupboard we were in, in the Adipose building. I mean, we got there at half nine and had to wait until six, so..."

"Please, no more details, thank you. I guess I can sort of see why you thought it wouldn't happen. I mean, he's an alien."

"And so am I, well, sort of. I thought, what with all the different types of genetic material floating about in both of us, that it wouldn't be a viable match. You know, like how a dog and a cat can't have kids – different species and all. Turns out I was wrong," She said and sighed. She felt strong enough to get up now, but found Donna's supportive embrace very soothing, and so decided to stay right where she was for now.

"Have you done a test?" Donna asked and Martha shrugged.

"No, not as such. The TARDIS told me about the new life sign coming from me, and during our meditation a couple of days ago, she took me into my core so that I could see it for myself," she explained.

"Oh, well fair enough. Have far along are you?"

"Um, about let's see... ten weeks, I think. Around that. Hard to know for sure when we're just in the TARDIS and not going anywhere, you know? Plus it's not a completely Time Lord, human or celestial baby. I really don't know what's normal growth and what isn't, but anyway. If you go by how many 'days' we've had in here, it's about that," she answered.

There was a longish pause. "Have you told the Doctor?" Donna asked and Martha flinched.

"No, not yet. I wanted to be sure it was real, that it was happening before I did. Donna, this is _really _fast – I don't know if we're even ready for it. I mean, what if he doesn't want to become a dad again? What if we can't cope, I mean –"

"Hush now." Donna soothed her by stroking her hair, she knew she had been getting hysterical, and appreciated her friend's help. "Everything's going to be fine. But this, being sick I mean, is a wakeup call to show you that you can't ignore it anymore. You have to tell him – don't worry, you're going to get through this together, and you'll have me as well, alright?"

Martha sighed and agreed, and then, for the umpteenth time, she mentally blessed the day she met Donna Noble.

* * *

**The Doctor**

He knew Martha was hiding something from him.

He didn't know what it was; only that it was causing her concern, and she feared his reaction to finding out whatever it was. She never said anything, but she didn't need to. The evidence was there in a hundred micro-expressions, in little gestures and looks.

He did not press her to tell him whatever it was though; she was entitled to her privacy. He only hoped she would tell him of her own accord soon, so that he could help her with whatever was troubling her.

He was working on some rewiring, when Donna and Martha came into the control room. He glanced over his shoulder when he heard them, and saw they both looked rather serious. He stopped what he was doing and took his glasses off, turning to face them properly. Donna looked determined, while Martha looked nervous.

She only met his eyes once or twice and the rest of the time she spent staring at the floor as if it was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen. Considering what he knew of some of the things she had seen, he knew that could not be true, so he took it to mean she was anxious.

Where was this sudden timidity coming from? Was it him? Something he'd said or done? Donna's voice interrupted his paranoid mental meanderings.

"Doctor, Martha has something she needs to tell you," she said, letting go of Martha's hand, which he only now noticed she had been holding, and giving her a gentle shove forward.

"Doctor, I, um, well – the thing is, see what I mean to say is... the thing is –"

"What's the thing? You can tell me Martha, whatever it is, I'll be there for you, I promise," he assured her gently, hoping it would help.

Apparently it did, because Martha smiled and met his eyes. She made no move towards him however, something he noted keenly.

"Right." She took a deep breath and then let it out. "The thing is, that," she paused to gulp, "we're going to have a baby." She said the last part so softly he wasn't sure at first that he'd heard her right.

"S-Say that again," he asked, his hearts beating frantically in his chest.

"She said she's pregnant, you prawn!" Donna interjected, sounding exasperated.

He looked at Martha, scarcely believing it, searching her eyes for the truth.

"Really?" he asked breathlessly, not particularly caring how it sounded.

"Really, really." Martha confirmed. He whooped for joy and ran to her, picking her up and twirling her around in the air. She was laughing and so was he, Donna looked on rolling her eyes at them, but he could tell she was happy for them.

* * *

**Martha **

When she heard him whisper in her ear that he loved her, that she was brilliant, she knew her fears had been for nothing. He was pleased, more than that, he was over the moon!

"This is so great, oh, what's the first thing we're going to need, oh, I don't know... a rocket! Yes, a toy rocket! Babies love rockets, oh and what next?" He rambled on and on, never taking his hand off her belly where he'd rested it when he put her down. The three of them, well four of them now, were in the kitchen, drinking tea and discussing where to go next.

For sure, they had some serious shopping ahead of them, but she reminded him firmly that it was early days yet. This brought up the point that they really knew nothing about how this pregnancy would progress, given the mix of the child's genetic heritage.

That in turn led to her being dragged to the Med Bay for another round of tests which she strenuously objected to. Donna, the traitor, looked on, doing nothing to rescue her, citing that it was for her own good. To add insult to grievous injury, Donna even commiserated with the Doctor that doctors and other medical people always made the worst patients.

They discovered that the child only had a fraction of human in him – they'd found out it was a boy in the first test since it was a deep scan. He was roughly five percent human, forty five percent celestial and fifty percent Time Lord. They had no idea how this would pan out, in terms of abilities and life cycle, but resolved to find out for the child's sake when he was born – which, they discovered, would be in ten months. Martha's pregnancy would take just under twelve months, and since the Doctor had confirmed her estimation that she was currently almost ten weeks along, she had roughly ten months to go.

Martha was not looking forward to carting round a bump for that long, but was so looking forward to meeting their child that she would be willing to put up with anything. As a junior Doctor, she knew there would be more to it than simply getting bigger, but really didn't think it would be so bad.

In the future, the Martha who suffered from the bad back, the swollen ankles, the constant need to pee, cry, laugh or shout – possibly all at the same time – would curse the naïveté of the Martha who thought her only problem would be a bit of extra weight.

* * *

**The Doctor**

To an outside observer, if it was possible for there to be one considering they were inside the TARDIS, suspended in the Time Vortex, which no living thing – apart from Jack Harkness, though he wouldn't be an observer, since he was outside and –

The Doctor halted that train of thought lest it derail him entirely. His original point had been that if anyone was watching him, and they were unaware of his and Martha's big news, they might think he was slowly cracking up. Then again, that was not so remarkable. Many people had thought he had cracked up years ago – maybe he had, and he just didn't know about it yet?

Well, that also was beside the point, and the point was, while he was finishing his maintenance work on the TARDIS, Donna and Martha being elsewhere, looking through magazines aimed at Mums-to-be, he would find himself stopping what he was doing, staring into space and _giggling_. Yes, _giggling_. Such an undignified thing for a nine hundred and four year old Time Lord to do, but there it was.

He was _so _happy, he now knew what people meant when they said they were so happy they might burst – he felt that way. And his happiness, wanting to escape, kept bubbling up the surface and causing him to, well, giggle. He couldn't try and explain it away as a chuckle, a chortle or even a crow. It was a giggle, plain and simple – all bubbly and uncontrollable.

He was going to be a DAD!

A sudden thought sobered him, something he would have otherwise believed impossible if this thought hadn't been so serious.

He and Martha were going to have a baby.

He sat back on the grating, leaning on the side of the controls and stared at the TARDIS's walls. They were going to be parents, and they were not bonded. The child would be half Time Lord. If it were to have any chance of survival, its parents must be bonded, and within the first three months of the gestation period, since it would draw energy from the two of them to forge its own link with time and space.

Martha was strong and healthy, he knew, and the child was not full blooded, so they might be able to get away with not being bonded... but did they really want to risk it? Risk the health and possible survival of their son?

In that moment, what had seemed at first to be such a blessed day, became a just little less bright. Bonding was _forever_. No going back – when human couples recited the words, '_Till death do us part,'_ they did so with the knowledge that if it all went horribly wrong, there was a way out. Not so, when it came to bonding. Death literally was the only way a bond could be broken.

It wasn't all star-crossed lovers and such – if one bond mate died, the other did not immediately follow. But they would feel the loss of their partner for many years. Some had believed it would leave a hole in the heart of the surviving partner, and maybe it did. He didn't know for sure, since his first mate had indeed died, but so had everyone else.

For him, there was no particular hole in his heart he could point to and say, 'that one is for my wife, that one is for my son, that one is for my mother'. Though he missed them all equally, the part of him they tore away left one great, gaping chasm. It was like a maw sometimes, and he had often feared it would swallow him whole.

He stopped dwelling for a moment, and decided to look at the facts.

To give their child the best hope of surviving, and of being born hale and hearty, he and Martha would need to bind themselves to each other in a ceremony which would telepathically, and spiritually, knit them together so tightly, that it would be impossible to perceive where one ended and the other began. Outwardly, they would remain unchanged; they wouldn't take on pieces of the other's appearance or anything like that.

It would be like a marriage – his people did see it _as_ marriage in fact, as they had no other ceremony in their culture which meant the same thing.

Did he want to marry Martha? Do the domestic, settle down? No, he didn't. But then, Martha's goals had changed in the time since they were stuck in the sixties. There was a point where he had thought he'd pushed her just a bit too far, expected too much, and consequently he had been waiting for the day when she would ask him to take her home. He had always assumed she would want to go back to her life, on Earth.

But then, she changed. They hadn't talked much about it, only pieces here and there, and he knew that they would have to now, but as far as he could tell, she had made the TARDIS her proper home. They made their bed together, and they woke next to each other every morning. They were partners, in the true sense of the word. Maybe this next step was inevitable? Or maybe he was rushing into it because it felt so _good_ to have the chance for a future again.

Not just a long life, but an actual _future_, full of events – marked out with birthdays, Christmases, weddings... did he want to marry Martha? He asked himself this question once more.

Yes, he decided. Yes he did.

To the Abyss with whether it was too fast, and straight to the Nine Hells with the people might think he was only marrying her because of the child. If you really wanted to look at it in a cynical way, Martha had made herself utterly irresistible to him, as a life-mate, when she took on the power of a celestial and gave herself a lifespan to match his.

Before he'd only looked on her with longing, believing it better to want her, but never have her. And while he had planned to make sure she knew how special she was and how much he admired her, he did not intend for things to work out the way they had.

Well, maybe that wasn't completely true. He had told her he loved her before he knew about her 'upload', and if he was honest with himself, he might have slipped a little and lost himself in her, for a time. He might have... but he would not have committed to her in the way he was now considering. He would have been a bastard again, and pushed her away, like all the others.

He knew enough of himself to realise what he would have done, how selfish he could have been. Arguably, he was being selfish now – planning to bind this wonderful woman to himself and denying her the chance of happiness with anyone else, _ever_.

He had to be honest with her, make sure she understood the enormity of what he was proposing, when he proposed, he decided. And if she said no, then she said no. He would accept and live with her decision.

A ring, he suddenly thought, he needed a ring. Where was he going to get one she liked without her knowing about it?

He sat and puzzled over it for a moment. Then he had a thought which made him grin.

Donna.

* * *

**Donna**

Flabbergasted, that was the word. She was utterly, and completely flabbergasted.

"Let me make sure I've got this right. _You_ want _me _to help _you_ pick out an engagement ring for _Martha_ without her knowing? _You_ are going to ask Marthato _marry_ _you._ Am I hearing you right?" she demanded, hands on her hips.

The Doctor was standing opposite her in the control room; Martha was asleep on the sofa in the observatory. She was just taking a nap, being sick all the morning had really taken it out of her. When the Doctor had called her away, she'd covered Martha with a blanket since the TARDIS could still be a bit chilly at times.

He was looking at Donna with something akin to fascinated terror. Good. Well, not good, since she didn't exactly want him to be scared of her, well, maybe not _all_ the time.

"Alright then Spaceman, get your credit card, we're going to Tiffany's," She said, walking towards her room, wanting to get a coat. She was simultaneously counting down in her head, "three, two, one..."

"Who's Tiffany?"

* * *

**The Doctor**

"I can't believe you just did that!" Donna, for all her shock, was happily walking along next to him, a bounce in her step. He knew she found the whole thing exciting.

The TARDIS was currently parked in Manhattan, though on this occasion, it was the 21st Century and there were no Daleks to contend with. Armed with his credit card, Donna had dragged Martha off for a shopping spree. She had been gabbling on to the other woman about a maternity clothes shop a friend had recommended to her, called, '_a pea in the pod_'. Martha had been bemused by the name, but had been swept up by the tide of Donna's enthusiasm, and the two of them had returned in the early afternoon loaded down with bags.

He'd quickly relieved Martha of her burdens, been waved away by Donna when he'd tried the same with her, and had taken Martha to her room for a nap. That's where she still was now. He had been conspiring with the TARDIS so he would know when she woke. He and Donna planned to pick up some snacks on their way back so they could explain their absence.

"What do you mean? I went in to buy an engagement ring, and I bought one," he protested, and Donna rolled her eyes at him.

"But you spent nearly forty thousand pounds!" she said, as if explaining something to a small child.

"So? Good maths there, by the way. Anyway, it was the only one we both agreed she would like. And you're forgetting, I got the wedding ring too. So, if you really want to be accurate, you should say I spent nearly ten thousand pounds on the wedding ring, and nearly thirty on the engagement ring. I still don't see what the big deal is. It's only money. I wish there was some remnant of my home I could give her, something of Gallifrey which survived, but there isn't, so I can't. So, I bought her the best this world has to offer."

"It's only money, he says! How could you forget that you had a bank account and how could you forget you had so much money in it?" she demanded, referring to the account he'd opened in 1969, and he sighed. He could see she was sympathetic, but that she also wanted to know the answer to her question.

"Donna, you forget, I'm an alien. This isn't my world, and as much as I seem to spend a lot of time here, I don't spend all of it here. Getting an account seemed like a good idea at the time, since I needed it, but when I didn't need it, I just let it be. What's so bad about that?" he implored, looking at her earnestly. "In fact, although I put some of my own money in that account, the bulk of it was from Martha's wages when she worked in the shop. I thought this would be fair recompense. Martha's always wanted a diamond, but thought they were too frivolous to spend her salary on – not that she really made enough as a junior doctor to buy any."

She sighed and shook her head. "I get your point. And for all that that ring is worth a fortune, it's not flashy or gaudy, and I reckon she'll like it," she admitted and he grinned.

"Then, surely that's all right? I mean, that was the general idea of this expedition, wasn't it?"

"Yes, Martian-boy, it was. Come on then, there's a pastry shop over there which is calling out to me."

* * *

**Martha**

A few times now, she'd walked in on the Doctor fiddling with something which he always stuffed back into his pocket when he saw her coming. She'd asked Donna if she'd noticed the same thing, but she'd only received an enigmatic smile from her friend and no explanation. Clearly, Donna knew something was going on but wasn't going to tell her what it was.

He'd surprised her again when he'd asked her to have dinner with him – not because of the invitation, but the destination he'd had in mind – the Faroe Islands, north of Scotland. He wanted to have a picnic there, in the evening, in November. She'd been wary at first, citing reasons such as how cold it would be, but when she'd been on the verge of suggesting somewhere else he'd looked so crestfallen she'd not had the heart to say no.

This lead to her current position – lying under a faux fur cover with the Doctor, under the night sky watching the Leonids.

"You see, it's a meteor shower. It comes from a comet, I believe on Earth it's called Tempel Tuttle – an odd name. Still, the shower itself is called the Leonids, because their radiant is in the constellation of _Leo_, you see? The radiant is the name given to the point where it looks as if the meteor is coming from," he was telling her.

She was lying in the circle of his arms, her head tucked into his neck, and both his hands were resting on her belly. In a way she felt as though he was telling both of them, her and their son, about the beautiful display going on in the sky above them.

"What's happening is that the Earth is moving through the meteoroid stream of particles left from the passages of the comet. The stream is comprised solid particles which we know as meteoroids. They are ejected by the comet as its frozen gases evaporate under the heat of the Sun. That started when the comet arrived within the orbit of Jupiter. A typical particle is no bigger than fine dust. The main source of light of a meteor is caused by the solar winds, which fragment and atomise the dust and the resulting spray of microscopic debris collides with individual atoms of the atmosphere ionising the air. The air molecules recombine and cool by giving off photons. Larger particles leave a stream of smaller particles and form a tail, which can leave a glowing trail in the atmosphere."

"Just like what we're seeing here," she concluded and he smiled, turning to press a kiss into her hair. Something changed then, she could feel him growing tense.

"Martha, I – Hells, I don't even know where to begin. Would you mind if I just ramble on for a bit? I don't know any other way to tell you what I need to, and I do need to tell you something," the Doctor asked, shifting so that he could look into her eyes.

"Sure, go ahead. You know I prefer honesty to well polished half truths and lies," she reminded him and then worried for a moment that he might take that as an insult.

"I know," he said, thinking of her and that alleyway in New New York. "Alright then," he began sinking back to the blanket they were lying on, pulling her closer. Then firmly fixing his eyes on the light show above, he spoke.

"With everything that's happened lately, with you, with the baby and all, I've begun to think about what I'm actually doing with my life. For the longest time, I let what I accepted was my duty to the beliefs of my people define my entire existence. I had to watch out for the Universe, to make sure no one was abusing the power of time, to keep the timelines intact and all of those things, because I was the only one left – if I didn't do it, then who would, you see?" he said and paused for a moment.

"And those things are still important, but I'd convinced myself that I could not have a life of my own at the same time. I began to feel less like a person and more just a remnant, a piece of a machine, left behind and carrying on – never changing because it didn't know how to. I was just going through the motions.

"But then I met Rose and she reminded me of how wonderful the universe can be, that, no matter how old I got, there would always be something new to discover. Her wonder at the things she saw re-awoke my own. But I still didn't change, not in the essentials. I was still going through the motions, to a certain extent.

"And then there was you. You made me face the truth of my past, and my future. Though you were gentle and considerate, you made me confront what was, you stopped me from hiding. And then, you were offered power - power which so many people in your world would give anything for. Many people would kill for it. And what did you do? You used it to help, to heal. You used it to give an old man the chance to decide for himself what he wanted his life to be," she guessed he meant Professor Yana. "And yes, I know that ended in tragedy, but you reminded me that if we don't have choice, if we can't choose for ourselves what we want, who we are, then we have nothing. We are only going through the motions."

He paused, sighing, his breathing heavy. "It was a hard lesson to learn. I spent so long, looking down on humans, condescending, in fact, because compared to my people they seemed like children. It's something I still struggle with, I think I always will. As you get older, you might find it difficult as well. Oh, I'm not saying you would ever behave badly about it, it's just that, as your view gets longer, you might understand more."

"I think I already do," Martha murmured and he smiled.

"Look, I'm not going to lie to you. What you became, well, it pulled down barriers between us. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'm going to anyway – when I thought you were still human I had ideas of entering into an intimate relationship. And, selfishly, I already knew that one day I would push you away, just so that I wouldn't have to watch you grow old and leave me. But when I found out about your metamorphosis, I began thinking about a _future_ with you. And like I said, barriers started falling.

"And then there was this," he said, rubbing her belly in emphasis, "a _family_. Something I'd had when I was young, but had run away from. Something that, when I found I wanted one, I suddenly discovered I couldn't have. I did wonder if it was just that – you know, when something is gone, it's only then that you realise you want it. But now, presented with it in this way, it's just so – I don't know what the word is and isn't _that_ a turn up for the books!"

Martha laughed but didn't say anything. He was speaking to her in a way she'd thought she would never hear. Yes, they'd had serious talks before now. In the wee hours, in their bed, they'd talked of all sorts of things. But he'd never been so completely open about his feelings, and he'd never talked for so long. She was wary of speaking again; she didn't want to spoil this precious moment.

"Well, onto what I need to tell you. This is the bit I'm worried you won't like. Put simply, our son is half Time Lord. A Time Lord child begins forging a connection with the vortex, with time and space, when it is still in the womb. It starts at about three months in. To do this, it draws energy from the parents. You with me so far?" He waited for her nod before continuing. "The child needs a harmonised and stable source of energy from both parents, and it has to be from both. Males and females have different patterns of energy, and the child needs it from both to build the connection. Now, usually, this is all fine. But here's the catch – to provide the stable source, the parents are bonded. There aren't any unbound, or unmarried if you will since it amounts to the same thing, Time Lord couples. Time Lords don't have unplanned pregnancies."

Martha could see where he was going with this and was not at all sure how she felt about it. Was he really suggesting what she thought he was? She looked at the evidence – romantic setting, picnic, talking under the stars – yes, he could very well be suggesting what she thought he was. But was it only because of the baby? All that talk leading up to this seemed to indicate that it wasn't.

She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and hear everything he had to say before making up her mind.

"Go on, I'm still listening," she prompted, and she heard him release a deep sigh, like he had been holding his breath.

"Our son is only a hafling – that is, he'd not full blooded so it's entirely possible he will be just fine without us, you know, being bonded. Since he's only half and half, he might be able to get by with only one half of the energy,"

"But do we really want to risk that?" she said, thinking out loud and unknowingly taking the words right out of his mouth.

"That's just what I was about to say. But what I want you to know is that as soon as this occurred to me, I couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like. To be bonded to you, to be your _husband_, and really, of all the titles I've ever been given – and I've been given quite a few I'll have you know – I find that that one is the one I like the most. No, that one I love. When I realised that, I knew then that baby or not, I want you to be my wife,"

He sat up then, drawing her with him and pulling something from his pocket, "Martha Jones, will you marry me?"

She looked down at the thing in his hands. A blue box, how typical. Then she saw what it was, the most beautiful diamond ring, utterly lovely in its simplicity. Not showy, not over the top, even if it was large.

She looked into his eyes; saw the nervousness and the anticipation there.

"Yes," she said, "Yes, I will."

* * *

**Donna**

She'd been to a fair few weddings in her time, but this one was by far the most unusual. Despite that, it was also the most touching. She had felt her sentimental side threatening to overwhelm her more than once during the ceremony.

Martha and the Doctor had returned from their outing to watch a meteor shower in the frozen north with red cheeks and bright eyes. One glance at Martha's hand told her all she needed to know, since the ring that the Doctor and she had chosen only a few days ago glittered in the light coming from the Time Rotor.

Given that part of the reason they were going to be married so soon was to ensure the continued health of their unborn baby, the two of them had decided to have the Gallifreyan bonding ceremony now, and then after the baby was born, they would have the full blown Earth wedding ceremony which all of Martha's family could come to, and celebrate with them.

The Doctor had said that Martha deserved her big day like any other woman, reaffirming once more to Donna that he had changed. He was more willing these days, it seemed, to take the time to learn what was important to his companions. In fact, more and more she believed that he didn't just see them as his followers, the way he might have before. He seemed to genuinely view them as friends, equal to him, and did not expect them to follow him around like awestruck sheep, muttering platitudes like, '_you're so clever, Doctor!'_

That was all for the better, in Donna's opinion. For if you placed yourself above everyone around you, you denied yourself the comfort of your friends and no one could get by without friends, no one.

They had chosen the memorial of the Time War on the Eye of Orion as the place to hold the ceremony.

She'd thought it an odd choice, initially. But the Doctor had explained that he wanted to begin his new future in the place where he felt closest to his people. He never said whether he believed in life after death or not, but she got the idea he wanted to show the other Time Lords that he hadn't given up, that he would keep their memory alive. His child would know Gallifrey, he had promised.

Donna herself had been an integral part of the ceremony. She'd been shocked when they asked her to be their binder, believing that she wasn't worthy of the position. They'd in turn been surprised by her shock, since they had believed she wouldn't want to do it, that she might find it a bit too alien for her.

This prompted a full explanation where it turned out that if she agreed to bind them she would have a part in the bond herself. She would be linked to both of them, like a sister, and would be the natural equivalent of a godmother to their son. She did get overwhelmed at that point and though she would strenuously deny any such report later, she cried when she'd said yes.

The ceremony itself required her to tie the hands of the Doctor and Martha together, while reciting a long string of Gallifreyan that she'd practiced over and over again until she got it right. Incense was burning in the background, and the three of them were dressed in robes which she privately thought made them look a bit stuffy.

The two who were joining had to exchange vows in Gallifreyan, and while Martha said hers with well rehearsed calmness, the Doctor stumbled over his because of nerves.

They repeated the process then in English, even though the binding could only happen once, as homage to Martha's Earthen heritage.

It had been lovely, to be frank. She mentally recalled the words of the binding in her mind, "Know now that since your lives have crossed, you have formed ties between each other. Know that the promises you make today and the ties that are bound here will cross the years and strengthen your union. With full awareness, know that you declare your intent to be joined here, forever. Do you still wish to begin this joining?"

"Yes, we wish to be joined," they'd answered together.

"Martha, will you honour him?"

"Yes,"

"Doctor, will you honour her?"

"Yes,"

"Martha and Doctor, will you seek never to give cause to break that honour?"

"Yes,"

"And so the binding is made, please join hands," here she draped the first of a set of cords over their hands.

The questions and answers had continued from there. It was not so different from some Earth ceremonies, though still a bid odd. It was more honest though, and less preachy. One of the questions had been, "Will you ever cause him/her pain?" to which they each replied "I might," and then it continued with, "Is that your intent?" to which they then replied, "No."

When she had tied all the cords around them the first time – when they'd done the service in Gallifreyan, the cords had changed to threads of light and had sunk into their hands, becoming a tattoo of interwoven golden strands around their wrists. You could barely see them; they only shone when they caught the light.

When it was nearly finished, she had to say; "Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be the shelter to the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you shall be the warmth to the other. Now there is no more loneliness for you. Now you are two bodies, but there is only one life before you."

When she went to bed that night in the TARDIS, Donna made sure she had her earplugs in. Judging by the smiles and heated glances being exchanged by the newly joined couple, she doubted either of them would be getting much sleep.


	9. Part Nine: The Unicorn and the Wasp

** Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction story and not written for any financial gain of any kind. All rights to Doctor Who and any associated material belong to the BBC and any other affiliated entities. Thanks. Also, the story of Lady Silverhair comes from Neverwinter Nights 2, which is the property of Atari, Obsidian, Wizards of the Coast and any other involved parties.**

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**A/N: OK, if you've read this far you know that this is a blatant Super!Martha fic, and is a Martha/10th Doctor romance. Please hit the back button if either of these things offends you. **

**Thanks especially to Persiflage for beta reading this story!**

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**Part Nine: **The Unicorn and the Wasp

* * *

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

**Seneca**

* * *

**Donna**

"Forget Planet Zog, a party in the 1920s, now that's more like it!" Donna said, suddenly excited.

The three of them, fresh from their trip to the Eye of Orion, were standing on the corner of a stately home, watching as guests arrived. They heard the servant who was greeting the guests telling them that cocktails would be served on the lawn at half past four.

She did enjoy visiting alien worlds, but she also loved being able to see bits of her own planet's past. It was a hell of a lot better than only being able to read dusty, old history books. But being here, seeing it with her own eyes, in glorious Technicolor! It was opportunities like this which had driven her to seek out the Doctor after she'd stupidly turned down his offer, the first time.

She dismissed that thought though, because she was here now. She was with the Doctor and his wife, and while at one time she might have thought that accompanying them on their honeymoon might make her feel like a gooseberry – it didn't.

Nothing had really changed; the only thing she'd noticed was that he and Martha tended to have a lot of silent conversations. The kind where Martha would glance at him, he would meet her eyes, a few seconds would pass, and then one of them would come out with something which sounded totally random, but was actually the result of whatever they'd been silently talking about in their heads.

Not much had really changed for her after her own part in the ceremony. She still felt honoured they'd asked her to perform as the binder – a position usually held by a family member. The Doctor's family couldn't have taken part of course, but Martha's could have. Still, the two of them had insisted they wanted it to be her, and had explained the reason why.

They both wanted her for a sister, and they wanted her to have a close relationship with their son. They'd also said it wouldn't hurt her in any way, though she knew that they wouldn't have suggested it if it would have. And they had told the truth.

The only thing she noticed in the last day or so, was that when one of them smiled at her, paid her a compliment, or gave her a hug, she got a little snapshot of their feelings. Like a little pulse that went off in her brain for just a second. That was all, and frankly she told herself, she could live with that.

Martha and the Doctor did not need much persuading to go and join the party in the stately home, though Martha did have a bit of a wobbly moment when she asked what they would make of the colour of her skin. The Doctor assured that it would be fine. She would be attending the party as a guest; therefore one could assume she had money. She would be regarded as exotic, not treated like a servant.

She didn't look terribly convinced, but Donna knew that Martha trusted the Doctor to know what to do if things went wrong.

"After all, it's not like I can get all Kung-Fu on them if they insult me!" she murmured to Donna as the two of them went to the huge wardrobe room to choose suitable outfits.

* * *

**Martha**

Martha was showing a fair bit by now, but luckily the clothes in this era while fitted were not so tight as to emphasise her baby bump. It was still obvious, but not too obvious.

When they re-emerged from the TARDIS, she and Donna gave the Doctor a twirl.

"What d'you think? Slappers or Flappers?" Donna asked. He gave them both wide grins.

"Flappers, you both look lovely!" He offered them an arm each and they walked off towards the gardens. Music was playing, and a waiter came over to greet them.

"Good afternoon!" the Doctor called.

"Drink, sir? Ma'am and Ma'am?"

They each requested their drinks, and as they were waiting for them, they heard what must have been the butler saying, "May I present Lady Clemency Eddison."

The Doctor stepped forward and greeted her warmly and with familiarity. "Lady Eddison!"

"Forgive me," Lady Eddison began, "But who exactly might you be, and," she ran her eyes over Martha and Donna. Martha was surprised that she saw no censure in the woman's eyes, only polite confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm the Doctor," he said. "This is my wife, Martha, and this is my wife's particular friend, Miss Donna Noble, of the Chiswick Nobles."

She and Donna greeted Lady Eddison, and the Doctor whipped out the psychic paper.

"We were thrilled to receive your invitation, my lady. We met at the Ambassador's reception." It worked just as it always did. Well, nearly always, that was.

"Doctor, how could I forget you? But one must be sure what with The Unicorn on the loose." Lady Eddison led them to the tables which had been set out on the lawn and took a drink from a tray being held by a waiter.

"Unicorn? Brilliant, where?" he asked his eyes full of intrigue.

"_The _Unicorn, the jewel thief – and nobody knows who he is, he's just struck again. Snatched Lady Babbington's pearls right from under her nose!"

"Funny place to wear pearls," Donna noted quietly, and Martha had to repress a snigger.

Their drinks arrived, and they all took a sip while the butler announced, "Colonel Hugh Curbishley, and the honourable Roger Curbishley."

"My husband, and my son," Lady Eddison told them. Her husband was in a wheelchair being pushed by his son, Roger. He claimed he was in the chair because of the flu epidemic in the year '18. Roger came over to them to say hello, complimenting Martha and Donna most charmingly.

The Doctor explained, when Donna asked him, about the difference in surnames. The Eddison title descended through Clemency, hence why her husband was a Curbishley and not an Eddison. One day her son would be Lord Eddison.

A 'Robina Redmond', was then announced – the absolute hit of the social scene according to Lady Eddison, followed by the 'Reverend Arnold Golightly'.

The three of them spotted Roger subtly flirting with one of the waiters, and Donna complained softly, "Typical. All the decent men are on the other bus!"

"Or Time Lords," Martha added, earning her a wink and a smile from her husband.

Her_ husband_.

Now there was a word which resonated through the core of her. So many things she'd never thought she'd do had happened to her since she met him, and of all of them, this was the one which threatened to shake the most.

She was still getting used to it, to be frank, and though nothing had changed in the essential daily routine they lived by, if one could describe it as such, her entire make up was now completely altered.

He was there, in every part of her, yet she didn't feel crowded, didn't feel like her privacy had been violated. She couldn't hear his every thought; thank goodness, because that would have driven her bonkers. It was a bit like it was with the TARDIS. She had only to touch that part of her mind where his presence 'lived', and she could speak to him, feel him, and send him images or memories if she wanted.

The first time they made love after the ceremony had been beyond mind blowing, there wasn't even a word for it really – it had been so intense. Almost too intense, in some ways, though she wouldn't have changed anything about that night – not for the entire universe.

When she'd asked him, the Doctor had explained that since his people had always bonded before trying to conceive, the 'wedding night' was usually when most couples fell pregnant. She could completely understand why – that night, it was like he was under her skin; every part of him was so deep within her.

She felt heat rise to her cheeks as images of their lovemaking assaulted her, and she quickly tried to focus on what was happening around her, rather than her memories of that night. She felt her husband grasp her hand suddenly, and she met his eyes.

He knew _exactly_ what she had been thinking about, and the heat in his gaze told her she would probably not be getting much sleep tonight.

They were interrupted by the sound of applause.

* * *

**The Doctor**

He snatched his gaze away from his wife's as he heard the others clapping, and noticed a demure looking blond woman walking across the lawn towards them.

"No, please don't," she said, and then turned to the hostess. "Thank you Lady Eddison but there's really no need!" She then turned towards him and his two ladies.

"Agatha Christie," she said, shaking Donna's hand.

"What about her?" Donna asked.

"That's me," she replied, frowning.

"No! You're kidding!" Donna exclaimed, staring at the poor woman in shock.

He was in shock too, but that didn't stop him from claiming her hand and shaking it vigorously.

"Agatha Christie!" He glanced at Martha, "We were just talking about you the other day, I bet she's brilliant, I said. I'm the Doctor, this is my wife, Martha, and this is Donna. Oh, I love your stuff, what a mind! You fool me every time, well, almost every time... well, once or twice... well, once – but it was a good one!" he said, and Donna and Martha laughed.

"You make an unusual couple," she said, indicating Martha and the Doctor.

"Don't we just," was all she said, though he could easily detect the hint of challenge in her voice, and he suspected Agatha could as well.

She did not say anything about Martha's race or colour though. All she said was, "Good luck to you. I fear however, that the thrill is in the chase, never in the capture," and he remembered what had happened to her recently. He didn't say anything though, because Lady Eddison came over and led her away, telling her how she was her greatest follower.

He took advantage of the distraction to take the paper from the lap of Colonel Hugh and check the date. He beckoned Martha and Donna over to him, and spoke in hushed tones.

"Look at the date on this newspaper," he instructed and they both checked it.

"What about it?" Donna asked impatiently. He glanced over at the rest of the party, Lady Eddison was asking her maid, Miss Chandrakala, to go and find a Professor Peach, who they thought was in the library. Apparently, the Professor had said he was looking forward to meeting Mrs Christie.

"Today is the day Agatha Christie disappeared," the Doctor told them. All three looked over to the woman they'd just met. "She's just discovered her husband was having an affair," he added.

"You'd never think it to look at her, smiling away," Donna whispered, incredulous.

"Well, she's British. Moneyed. That's what they do, they 'carry on'. Except this one time. No one knows exactly what happened, she just vanished. Her car will be found tomorrow morning by the Silent Lake. Ten days later Agatha Christie turns up at a hotel in Harrogate, she'll say she lost her memory. She never spoke about her disappearance 'til the day she died. But whatever it was,"

"It's about to happen," Martha said with wide eyes.

"Right here, right now," he agreed.

The quiet of the garden was disrupted by Miss Chandrakala running out shouting, "Professor! The library! Murder!"

* * *

**Donna**

"Someone call the police!" Agatha ordered firmly, as they crowded around the body of Professor Peach, who had clearly been murdered.

"You don't have to, Chief Inspector Jones, from Scotland Yard – known as The Doctor. Martha is my wife, and Donna is the plucky young girl who helps me out."

He was brandishing his psychic paper again, and since she was facing away from the rest of them, Donna gave Martha a long suffering look. Why, oh why, did he feel the need to jump into any mystery he came across, couldn't he just take it easy for a change?

Martha raised a brow and Donna realised she had been broadcasting. Evidently, when they were in close quarters, if she thought something strongly enough, Martha and the Doctor could sometimes pick up on it. When they'd told her that she had immediately determined to never bring a man home to her room in the TARDIS, the idea of what she might end up unwittingly transmitting to them just creeped her out.

Mrs Christie helped them clear the room so only the three of them – Martha, Donna and the Doctor – were left. Donna decided this was the perfect time to call him on something he'd said earlier.

"The plucky young girl who helps me out?" she repeated crossly.

"There are no policewomen in 1926," he defended.

"I'll pluck you in a minute!" she threatened, which prompted Martha to snigger.

"Oi! Less of that, thank you Mrs Jones!" the Doctor declared, which only served to make her laugh even more.

"Why aren't we calling in the real police?" Donna wanted to know.

"Oh, the last thing we need is PC Plod sticking his nose in," the Doctor explained, as he examined the room. He was lying on the floor, looking like he was scraping something from the wood. "Especially," he began, rising to his feet, "now I've found this. Morphic residue," he said, nodding to the goo he collected on the end a pencil.

"Morphic? Doesn't sound very 1926," Donna questioned and Martha let out a low whistle. Donna was glad that at least _someone_ understood what the Doctor was going on about. She reckoned that Martha's knowledge had something to do with the reason why he no longer treated everyone around him like children. Before, she'd got the idea he only kept humans around him so they could smile and tell him how clever he was when he reeled off a load of scientific mumbo-jumbo.

Actually having to make sense, having someone around who could call his bluff when necessary, well, it seemed to be making a difference to his social skills – that is, he was actually developing some. A true miracle, that was.

Martha had made her way over to stand with the two of them. "It gets left behind when certain species genetically re-encode," she explained, and the Doctor petulantly accused her of being a thunder stealer. A cardinal sin in his eyes, clearly.

Donna felt like throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation. "The murderer's an alien!" she said with a sigh.

"Which means, one of that lot is an alien in human form," the Doctor muttered.

"Yeah, but think about it – there's a murder, a mystery and Agatha Christie," Donna pointed out. The Doctor seemed not to get what she was driving at.

"So, happens to us all the time," he protested.

"Yeah, but isn't that a bit weird? Agatha Christie didn't walk around surrounded by murders, not really. I mean, that's like meeting Charles Dickens and he's surrounded by ghosts, at Christmas!"

Martha and the Doctor both looked at her for a long moment then looked at each other, the corners of their mouths were twitching like they wanted to smile. Donna rolled her eyes at them.

"Oh, come on! It's not like we could drive across country and find Enid Blyton having tea with Noddy. Could we? Noddy's not real? Is he? Tell me there's no Noddy!" she demanded.

The Doctor looked at her with wide eyes. "There's no Noddy," he confirmed. As they were walking through the hall, Donna kept on at her initial point.

"Next you'll be telling me it's like Murder on the Orient Express," she began, but was interrupted.

"Murder on the Orient Express?" came the voice of Agatha from behind them.

"Oh yea, one of the best," Donna told her.

"But not yet," the Doctor cut in.

"Marvellous idea though," Agatha complimented, intrigued.

"Tell you what, copyright Donna Noble, okay?"

"Anyway," the Doctor cut in again, giving her a look, though she noticed Martha didn't seem disapproving, only amused, "Agatha and I will question the suspects, Donna and Martha – you go and search the bedrooms for any more residues. You'll need this," he said, handing Donna an enormous magnifying glass, and pretending not to notice the look he received in return.

* * *

**The Doctor**

"Is that for real?" Donna asked, not impressed, but she let Martha lead her off up the stairs.

"Please be careful," he called out to his wife and best friend, and tried to be reassured by their returning smiles.

"Right then, solving a murder mystery with Agatha Christie, brilliant!" he said, smiling.

"How like a man to have fun when there's disaster all around him," Agatha retorted, and he felt suitably ashamed

"Right, yeah," he said contritely.

"I'll work with you, gladly, but for the sake of justice. Not your own amusement," she told him and led the way towards the library. They had the party goers in one by one, but unfortunately none of them had an alibi for the time in question, and neither was there a motive apparent for any of them.

He and Agatha looked over a scrap of paper which he'd seen her remove from the grate earlier, but could only decipher the word _'maiden_' from it, and nothing else.

Agatha mused that they were no closer to the truth, and were at a bit of a dead end unless Donna and Martha had discovered something. For his part, the Doctor wasn't sure if he wanted them to find something or not. He didn't want either of them in danger, yet equally, he knew that they could take care of themselves.

He also knew that neither woman would allow him to molly-coddle her, and that they could both give him a run for his money when it came to being stubborn.

* * *

**Martha**

She and Donna had found a locked door which the creepy butler from earlier told them Lady Eddison had insisted remained locked. Donna had told him they were from Scotland Yard, and ordered him to open it. He hadn't looked happy, but he'd complied.

"Why's it locked in the first place?" Donna was asking him, and Martha could tell he did not appreciate being questioned by two women. But he answered, nonetheless.

He told them that some years ago, Lady Eddison had returned from India with Malaria, and locked herself in the room until she recovered. Martha found that distinctively odd. Yes, Lady Eddison had money and could afford the best of care, but it sounded as if she hadn't even let a doctor in to see her. People didn't just 'get better' from Malaria – they needed treatment and expert help. Something about this story was definitely fishy, she decided.

They persuaded the butler to leave them alone in the room – a room which had been locked for forty years. There was nothing obvious when they first went. There were no signs of medicine or anything like that, though obviously Lady Eddison could easily have taken them away when she left the room. But it was tidy, if dusty, and looked nothing like a sick room.

The two of them heard a buzzing coming from the window which the curtains were still drawn across.

"1926 – they've still got bees," Donna murmured.

The hairs on the back of Martha's neck started to rise – something didn't feel right.

"Ooh, what a noise! Alright busy bee, don't worry, I'll let you out," Donna was saying as she approached the window.

Martha was simultaneously moving back towards the door. "Donna, I don't know that that's such a good idea, maybe we should leave it alone," she said, not sure why she was suddenly so anxious.

Donna scoffed at her and pulled the curtains back. They both exclaimed with surprise – outside the window was a giant wasp!

They both screamed as it flew through the window, smashing the glass.

"That's impossible," Donna breathed.

"No it's not! It's a Vespiform!" Martha practically screeched, trying to get to the door.

"Doctor!" Donna yelled, following Martha to the door. The Vespiform was flying towards them, its size hindering its movements somewhat, in the small room. Martha knocked it back with a gust of wind, waving her hand at it like she was telling it to shoo. The wasp banged into the wall behind it, and seemed a bit dazed.

They used its momentary distraction to open and escape through the door, slamming it shut behind them. They staggered back, as seconds later, its sting came through the wooden panels.

The Doctor and Agatha were racing down the hallway towards them, and Martha could see the rising panic on his face. She hastily reassured him in her mind that they were fine – she, Donna and the baby were unharmed, only a bit shocked. She could feel him relax a bit from the blind terror which had seized him when he thought they might be in danger.

"It's a giant wasp!" Donna managed to say and he frowned.

"What do you mean?" he asked and Donna rolled her eyes at him.

"It's a wasp that's giant!" she spat, still trying to get her breath back. Martha reached out and rubbed her back, knowing that Donna had been really scared in there.

"It's only a silly little insect," Agatha said dismissively and the Doctor looked confused.

"When I say giant, I don't mean big," Donna began, looking mortally offended.

"_She means a Vespiform, it was a Vespiform._" Martha told her husband silently, and she felt his understanding.

"Look at its sting!" Donna was saying, pointing to where it had come through the door. Now Agatha was convinced.

"Let me see!" the Doctor said, opening the door to the now empty room. "It's gone. Buzzed off." Martha mentally chided him for such an awful pun.

Agatha was bending down to look at the sting, but Martha held her back. "But it's fascinating," she said, reaching out.

"No, no, no, let me," The Doctor said, taking out a test tube and collecting a sample of what looked like venom. All the while, he was wondering what the heck a Vespiform was doing on Earth in this time period.

When the four of them were walking back down the stairs, they heard a terrible scream from outside. They raced out to find Miss Chandrakala lying beneath a sculpted stone head of some sort, struggling for every breath.

She managed to wheeze out, "The poor little child," before she died. They could all hear buzzing overhead and saw the giant wasp fly over the roof from the other side of the house. They went back inside then, going back up the stairs and Donna was saying, "This makes a change, there's a monster and _we're_ running after _it_,"

Martha had to stop on the stairs, letting the others go first. She could feel herself growing tired and was not sure all this running was good for her and the baby, super stamina notwithstanding. Sure, exercise during pregnancy was beneficial, but she didn't want to overexert herself.

Unfortunately, the Vespiform flew away from the Doctor when he and the other two cornered it, and towards her.

"Martha!" he shouted to her, looking more scared than she'd ever seen him.

"Remember me?" she said calmly, holding up a hand. It seemed to recognise her and remember what she could do, because it left her alone and flew off down another hallway. The Doctor shouted for them to not let it get away before it resumed human form, but when he reached the hall into which it had flown and called out for it to show itself, the doors of the rooms all opened and practically every guest present was suddenly in the hall.

"Oh, that's just cheating!" the Doctor complained.

* * *

**Donna**

In the light of recent events, the Doctor had everyone gather downstairs in the sitting room, and Lady Eddison was devastated at Miss Chandrakala's death.

The Doctor questioned them on the poor woman's last words, but they all claimed not to know what it meant.

"Mrs Christie," Lady Eddison suddenly said earnestly, "you must have twigged something, you've written simply the best detective stories."

"Tell us, what would Poirot do?" Reverend Golightly asked.

"Heaven's sake, cards on the table woman," Colonel Hugh joined in, "you should be helping us!"

"But," Agatha looked flustered, "I'm merely a writer," she protested.

"Surely you can crack it," Robina insisted, "these events; they're exactly like one of your plots."

"That's what I've been saying," Donna cut in, "Agatha, that's got to mean something," she said and Agatha turned to her.

"But what? I have no answers, none. I'm sorry, all of you, I'm truly sorry. But I've failed. If anyone can help us it's the Doctor, not me." They all turned to him and Agatha left the room.

Feeling sorry for her, Donna went after her. She found her sitting outside inn an enclosed garden seat and went to sit next to her.

"Do you know what I think? One day, those books of yours, they're going to turn them into films. They could be talking pictures," she declared and Agatha looked confused.

"Talking pictures? Pictures, that talk? What do you mean?" she asked and Donna cursed herself.

"Blimey, I think I've done it again," she muttered.

"I appreciate you trying to be kind, but you're right. These murders, they are like my own creations. It's as if someone is mocking me and I've had enough scorn for one lifetime!"

"Yeah," Donna said, "Thing is, I had this bloke once. I was engaged and I loved him, I really did. Turns out he was lying through his teeth, but d'you know what? I moved on. I was lucky, I found the Doctor and Martha – it's changed my life. There's always someone else."

"I see. Is my marriage the stuff of gossip?" Agatha asked and Donna was taken aback.

"No, no, I just... sorry."

Agatha sighed. "No matter, the stories are true. I found my husband with another woman – a younger, prettier woman – isn't it always the way?"

"Well, mine was with a giant spider, but same difference," Donna told her and Agatha laughed.

"You and the Doctor and his wife, you talk such wonderful nonsense!"

"Agatha, people love your books – they do. They're going to be reading them for _years_ to come," she insisted, trying to get through to the woman before her. Because suddenly Agatha wasn't just a legendary author, she was just another woman. A fellow human woman who had doubts and fears, just like her.

"If only – try as I might it's hardly great literature. That's beyond me. I'm afraid my books will be forgotten, like ephemera," she paused, and then frowned. "Hallo, what's that? Those flowerbeds were perfectly neat, now they're torn to bits."

They rooted through the flowers until they found a black box. "There you go! Who'd ever notice that – you're brilliant," Donna told her.

They took it inside to show the Doctor. The four of them sat in the study on their own, and when they opened the box they found all the tools for a master thief.

"The Unicorn – he's here!" Agatha exclaimed.

The door opened then, and the butler Donna and Martha had agreed was creepy came in with their drinks. Martha said she didn't feel like hers any more, and sent it back with the butler. The Doctor said she could have a sip of his if she got thirsty.

"What about the science stuff, what did you find?" Donna asked, and he held up the sample he'd taken earlier.

"Vespiform sting," he told her, "though I didn't really need this to tell me that – Martha already knew," he said, looking towards his wife.

"Yes, sorry I didn't say before. Vespiforms have got hives in the Silfrax Galaxy," she told Donna, who just decided to nod and agree. Sometimes she forgot that Martha was part alien too.

"Again, you talk like Edward Lear," Agatha said, though neither the Doctor nor Martha appeared to notice.

"Who for some reason, is acting like a character in one of your books," he said to her.

"Come on Agatha, what would Miss Marple do? She would have overheard something vital by now because the murderer thinks she's just a harmless old lady," Donna said, trying to help.

Apparently, she hadn't written any of those yet either, since Agatha seemed to have no idea what she was going on about.

"Martha," the Doctor suddenly said urgently and Donna carried on talking to Mrs Christie.

"Martha," he said again, "something's inhibiting my enzymes," he doubled over with a cry, "I've been poisoned!" he shouted, and she saw Martha reach out to him with a glowing hand.

"I can't, I, I can't stop it, it's in every cell," she cried, tears rolling down her face.

Agatha had taken up the glass he'd been drinking from and sniffed it, "Bitter almonds, it's cyanide – sparkling cyanide!"

Martha was a mess, not knowing what to do, whereas the Doctor launched himself out of his chair and out of the room. Donna had to pull Martha along with her, and while she might have hoped the other woman would be more help, Martha was pregnant and the father of her child had just been poisoned. Kind of understandable that she was in a right state.

Agatha came with them as they followed the Doctor into the kitchen.

He told them he could reverse the damage, but he needed certain things – ginger beer, protein, something salty, which Donna and Agatha gave him. The last thing he needed was apparently a shock.

* * *

**Martha**

Martha seemed to wake up from her misery when he said that, because she stepped forwards and said, "We're having twins!"

This appeared to be shocking enough, because he threw his head back and exhaled a disgusting cloud of grey smoke.

"Detox, nothing like it, must do it more often," he mused for a moment, and then grinned. "Are we really?" he asked, looking at Martha.

"Yes," was all she said out loud, not wanting to freak Agatha out with even more techno babble. The poor woman already believed them to be raving lunatics.

"_The TARDIS said they would be identical boys, and one was hiding behind the other. Now that we've bonded they've started assimilating the energy they need, but at differing rates. That's what alerted her," _she explained, and the Doctor couldn't seem to help sweeping her up into his arms, and whooping for joy.

Their display distracted the people in the kitchen who had been looking at him like some kind of freak of nature. His joy at their news suddenly made him seem more normal to them.

Unfortunately, this latest crisis also pushed him over the edge, so to speak. He tried rational means to persuade Martha to leave, but in the end, he was begging her to quit the house and go take shelter in the TARDIS.

"Martha, please! I offered you some of my drink, remember, what if you'd drunk it? What then? Please, I don't want to lose you or the babies." He had actually got down on his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist.

As much as she wanted to stay and help, she knew he wouldn't be able to concentrate if he knew she and their children were in danger. His distraction would only make it worse for everyone else here, and would put both him and Donna in danger. Martha didn't want to be the cause of that.

"Alright," she agreed softly, kissing him briefly. "But you let Donna take care of you, OK? I've grown rather attached to you," she said and after a long hug, she turned to Donna, hugging her too and whispering in her ear, "_Get him out when he's too stupid to leave,_"

And with a warm farewell for Agatha, she left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

* * *

**The Doctor**

He was not happy until he received a signal from the TARDIS that Martha was on board, and that the ship would be going into lockdown until he returned. He knew that Martha was more than capable of taking care of herself, but he just could not function if he knew she and the babies were in danger.

Not to mention, that in this early stage of the pregnancy, any significant drain on her powers might harm the children. These rational arguments had not swayed her, however, as he had suspected they might not. She was an independent woman; he had known that when he had met her, and he had accepted it when he married her.

He knew what she saw, when she looked in his eyes and changed her mind. It was his pain at the loss of his people, at what losing her and their children would mean, on top of everything he'd already lost. He hated appearing so vulnerable, but if he couldn't be open with her, of all people, then there really was no hope for him.

Gods, he loved her. Even more now because she had willingly taken a step back, had trusted him to take care of things here and taken herself and their babies away from danger, just to make him happy. He knew how much she liked being in there, in the thick of things, but she walked away, for him.

Now that he knew the TARDIS would protect his wife and children, he could get down to business.

* * *

**Martha**

And what a business it had been!

Donna and the Doctor were talking practically nonstop when they came back. They were babbling about a giant wasp, piperine, the Firestone, and the Silent Lake.

Apparently, the Reverend Golightly had been Lady Eddison's illegitimate son – the result of a union between her and a Vespiform. When the Reverend's dormant powers manifested themselves for the first time, his mother had been wearing the Firestone – a necklace given to her by his father which linked the two of them – and reading an Agatha Christie novel. As he drew knowledge from his mother through the Firestone, he started to believe what was in the novel was the way the world really worked.

Agatha had helped to defeat the Vespiform by luring it to the Silent Lake. Donna had then taken the Firestone and thrown it into the water, the alien following after it. For a moment they thought that it would draw Agatha into the water as well, but it let her go, before it drowned. Because of the brief possession, the Doctor reckoned that Agatha had lost her memory, and they were going to drop her off at the Harrogate Hotel ten days into the future.

After they'd made the short trip, he showed the two of them one of Agatha's books which had been reprinted in the year five billion. He said that she remained one of the most popular writers ever published.

That night in their bed, the Doctor thanked her over and over for listening to him earlier, and waiting for Donna and him to come back. She knew how much it meant to him, but she felt she had to make her point of view clear as well.

"You can't wrap me in cotton wool, though, you know that, right? I am going to be in danger sometimes; it's the life we live. I know we can try to go to peaceful places and all, but we always end up finding trouble, one way or another. All I can promise, is that I won't deliberately _put _myself in danger. Like today – going to investigate with you after the poisoning – after you were nearly killed – would have been me knowingly entering a dangerous situation. It's one of the reasons I agreed to come back here. Do you see what I'm getting at?"

He was silent for a long moment, before he nodded. "I do – I know you're right. I wish you weren't, but you are. I guess I'll just have to get used to worrying," he said and Martha laughed.

"Hell yes! I mean, this is _your _sons we're talking about here, as soon as they start walking – no as soon as they start _crawling!_"

"Don't, please don't – I know, it's going to be a nightmare!" he paused, and then grinned, "I can't wait!"

* * *

**_To be continued..._**


	10. Part Ten: The Silence in the Library

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction story and not written for any financial gain of any kind. All rights to Doctor Who and any associated material belong to the BBC and any other affiliated entities. Thanks. Also, the story of Lady Silverhair comes from Neverwinter Nights 2, which is the property of Atari, Obsidian, Wizards of the Coast and any other involved parties.**

* * *

**A/N: OK, if you've read this far you know that this is a blatant Super!Martha fic, and is a Martha/10th Doctor romance. Please hit the back button if either of these things offends you. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review, I really appreciate it. Please feel free to put in suggestions if you have them.**

* * *

**Part Ten**: The Silence in the Library

* * *

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

**Seneca**

* * *

**Martha**

She was currently six months pregnant and had quite a bump showing. Martha, the Doctor and Donna had visited various different places on Earth and elsewhere for their 'honeymoon'. Today though, he'd asked if they wanted to visit The Library. Being fond of learning and loving books, Martha had immediately agreed. Donna, who was not so fond of reading, also agreed, albeit a bit reluctantly.

When they got there though, it was weird, but the place just felt empty. Of course, libraries were usually quiet, but this one was deathly _silent_. It alarmed her, and Martha found her eyes flitting from shadow to shadow as they left the room the TARDIS had landed in and went out onto a balcony.

"The Library. So big, it doesn't need a name. Just a great big 'the'," the Doctor was saying to Donna, as the two of them, with their long legs, strode ahead of her. Martha wasn't offended, she knew they wouldn't go off without her, but it was irritating at times when they forgot to moderate the length of their strides.

"It's like a city," Donna said, looking around. Martha already knew about this place, having once recalled something about it from her benefactress, she had taken her own initiative to check it out for herself in the TARDIS data banks.

"It's a world – literally," Martha interjected from behind them, and felt slightly satisfied at their sheepish looks when they realised they'd been making it hard for her to keep up. She smiled, absolving them, and taking the Doctor's offered arm.

"Martha's right – it's a world. The whole core of the planet is the index computer – biggest hard drive, ever. And out here, every book ever written – whole continents of them – Jeffrey Archer, Bridget Jones, Monty Python's Big Red Book. Brand new editions – specially printed. We're near the equator, so," he licked his finger and held it in the air, as if he was feeling the wind. Martha exchanged a glance with Donna. "So, this must be biographies!" the Doctor shouted suddenly, making them both jump. "I love biographies," he added.

"Yeah, very you. Always a death at the end," Donna noted. They argued back and forth about biographies, death, and spoilers for the future, but Martha mostly ignored them. She was still feeling very uneasy, and a frown was taking root on her face. Something just wasn't right here.

The Doctor seemed to have noticed too, because she heard him say, "This is the biggest library in the universe. So, where is everyone?"

"It's silent," Martha said, staring ahead but not really seeing anything.

The Doctor went to a terminal and switched it on with his sonic. Donna was now on at him about why they were here, since he'd told her yesterday that they could hit the beach today. He performed a scan for humanoid life forms – the type who would be able to read books, and it only oscillated between three and five. She assumed it meant him, Donna, herself and the babies, but since the babies weren't born yet it couldn't decide if they counted or not.

When he broadened the search for all life forms, the scanner stopped working at a million, million. Trouble was, where were these millions of life forms? And what were they?

"It's not the books, is it? I mean, it can't be the books," Donna protested, looking between Martha and the Doctor. They managed to freak each other out, looking at a stack of books right in front of them. Martha had to drag them both back towards the TARDIS. When they returned to the room they'd arrived in, a courtesy node was turning towards them.

Not liking animatronics and such after their experience on the _Titanic_, Martha scowled at it. Her scowl only deepened when it started speaking, "I am courtesy node 710/Aqua." She didn't listen to the rest of the message, she couldn't focus on anything but the shadows.

Her attention was drawn back to the node when it mentioned a message from the Head Librarian, "Run, for God's sake run. Nowhere is safe, The Library has sealed itself, we can't, oh, they're here, aarrg, slaarrg, snig, message ends." Somehow, it felt even more chilling to hear such a message from the even toned courtesy node.

* * *

**The Doctor**

"So that's why we're here," the Doctor muttered, earning himself significant looks from his wife and his best friend. He ignored them for the moment, "Any other messages, same date stamp?" he asked.

"One additional message. This message carries a Fellman-Lux coherency warning of – "

"Yeah, fine, fine," the Doctor cut the node off, "Fine! Just play it," he demanded. The node obliged.

"Message follows, Count the shadows. For God's sake, if you want to live – count the shadows, message ends,"

He could feel Martha's fear radiating into his mind, feeding his own. He reached out for her hand, which she gripped hard.

"Donna," he said, looking round them warily.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"Stay out of the shadows," he warned, knowing that he didn't need to warn Martha. She already suspected, just as he did, what was lurking in this library, though neither of them could fathom why. She'd whispered it, in his mind as they looked at each other.

_"Vashta Nerada,_"

"Why, what's in the shadows?" Donna asked, but neither of them had the heart to tell her, just now. They hesitantly moved out of the dark room and into the bowels of the library, where the stacks of books reached up into the sky.

"So, we weren't just in the neighbourhood?" Martha asked, and he winced.

"Yeah, I kind of, sort of, lied a bit," he said, reaching into his pocket for the psychic paper. He knew he was likely to get an earful, Martha hated it when he lied or concealed things from her. She didn't mind if he didn't want to talk about something, or, if there was something he couldn't tell her – so long as he had a good reason and told her so. Outright dissembling was not something she approved of. It was one of those things he'd have to get used to, a part of his new married life.

"I got a message on the psychic paper," he showed his two ladies, "what do you think?"

It read, "_The Library, come as soon as you can. x"_

"Cry for help?" he suggested and both women scoffed.

"A cry for help, with a kiss?" Donna mocked. He frowned.

"Well, we've all done that," he protested.

Donna asked him who it was from, but he truly had no idea. To be frank, it made him feel a bit awkward. As far as he knew, there was no one out there who would send him notes signed with a kiss – other than his wife and Captain Jack of course, and latter was safely tucked away on Earth in the 21st Century while Martha was right next to him. So who was it?

It couldn't be Rose – no way – she was in a parallel world, not _this _world and not in the 51st Century. Then again, she could have got hold of some alien tech, who knew what she would do then? But surely, she had learned enough from him to know how dangerous it was to meddle with time and space?

"Doctor!" Martha suddenly shouted, pointing at the light bulbs behind them which were going out one by one.

They ran for a nearby door, but it wouldn't open. The wood was warped and unfortunately his sonic didn't work on pure wood. This time he immediately stood back for Martha to kick it open, and then three of them ran into the room, shutting the doors behind them. They wedged them shut with a nearby book and then turned.

There, floating in the centre of the room, was a security camera.

* * *

**Donna**

She was not at all happy with being stuck in this library. She had been looking forward to day at the beach, but no, space-man had got a 'cry for help' and just had to go racing off after it. She, too, was baffled about who might have sent it, since as far as she knew, the Doctor only had one wife and she was right here – so who could be calling out for help and signing it with a kiss?

She glanced at the Doctor and Martha, and saw they were examining the security camera. He was using his sonic on it – probably trying to switch it back on again. She looked around, wondering what the hell they'd just run away from. She got the feeling her two friends knew a bit more than they were letting on.

"Are we safe here?" she asked and the Doctor glanced up at her. He was crouched on the ground, with Martha leaning over him.

"Of course we're safe! There's a little shop," he said, nodding towards something behind her. She turned round and saw he was right, there was a shop, but she wasn't at all sure why that meant they were safe.

She heard the Doctor apologising to the camera, and frowned at him. "It's alive," he said, bemused.

"You said it was a security camera," Donna protested and he got up, leaving the camera on the ground.

"It is, it's just an alive one," he replied in a tone which suggested that should explain everything. She glanced at Martha, but found her to be completely baffled too.

They were looking down at the display on the camera, still trying to work out what it was, when a new message appeared. "_Others are coming,"_ it said.

"What does it mean? What others?" Donna asked, looking all around them. She walked over to a courtesy node like the one in the other room, and asked it what the security camera meant.

The Doctor told her that she wasn't likely to get any sense out of it, and she countered with the fact that it had a face. That's when she discovered it was a _real _face, donated by a dead person. She was backing away in horror when the Doctor suddenly grabbed her.

* * *

**Martha**

"Wait, wait, no," the Doctor said, pulling her towards him.

"Oi! Hands!" Donna protested.

"Shadow," Martha herself said, looking at the shadow on the ground with palpable dread. "But what's casting it?" she added, looking up to the open roof, over which there was nothing to make the shadow which had appeared on the ground.

She knew then, that they couldn't deny the truth of what she'd first thought was here.

_Vashta Nerada_.

The Doctor was glancing down the aisles, and Donna was with him, but Martha kept her eyes on the shadow. All she did was blink, and then it was gone.

"Doctor," she warned, and he turned to look at her. She pointed at the ground where the shadow had been, and then looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes. In spite of her powers, in spite of the fact that she reckoned she could probably out run them, hells, she could probably grab both Donna and the Doctor and fly up through the open ceiling and into the sunlight – she was still scared.

The _Vashta Nerada_ were, after all, the stuff of nightmares.

"We need to get back to the TARDIS," the Doctor said firmly. But before they could make a move in that direction, they were interrupted by a loud crash and a blinding flash of light. Someone had blown open the set of doors opposite the ones they had come in through.

They didn't have to wait long before several figures in white space suits walked into the room. One of them went right up to the Doctor and greeted him with, "Hello, sweetie." Martha impulsively felt like punching her lights out.

"Get out," the Doctor replied, "all of you, get out and get back in your rocket. Tell your grandchildren you visited The Library and lived – they won't believe you," he said, but the woman who'd first approached him simply ignored him.

The new group took off their helmets and one of them started having a go at the woman. Martha studied her, unseen for the moment, looking between her and the Doctor. The woman looked at him with a certain fond familiarity. She definitely seemed to think she knew who he was – but had glanced at Donna without a hint of recognition in her eyes. Martha knew the woman hadn't seen her yet, she had been camouflaged by the Doctor at first and then by Donna.

The woman was ignoring the complaints of the slightly plump man who had been reprimanding her, and turned on the spot. When she did this, she saw Martha for the first time.

There was a flash of recognition there, though she seemed a little confused when she glanced down and saw the bump. She came over and spoke to her softly.

"M-Martha? Wha – are you pregnant again?" she frowned, seeming disturbed by the sight of the bump.

"Again? What do you mean, again?" Martha retorted, but the woman shook her head and turned away.

The Doctor didn't appear to have heard their brief exchange, he was busy looking between the newcomers. Martha heard him groan. "Oh, you're not are you? Tell me you're not archaeologists," he pleaded, and the woman who'd just been speaking to Martha squared up to the Doctor.

"Got a problem with archaeologists?" she asked.

"I'm a time traveller – I point and laugh at archaeologists," he explained. The woman held out her hand.

"Professor River Song, archaeologist," she introduced herself, and Martha cursed. The name didn't ring a bell with her inherited memories or her original ones.

"River Song, lovely name. As you're leaving, and you're leaving now, you need to set up a quarantine – no one comes here, not one living thing, not ever –"

"Stop right there!" Martha ordered, pulling back a woman nearby, who was about to enter the shadows. The Doctor joined her, and asked the woman her name.

"Anita," she replied, looking annoyed with both of them.

"Anita, stay out of the shadows – not a foot, not finger in the shadows – that goes for all of you until you're safely back in your ship – stay in the light! Find a nice bright spot and just stand. If you understand me, look very, very scared," he paused. "No, a bit more scared than that, OK, that will do for now." He dashed over to one of the guys.

"You – who are you?" he asked. For her part Martha kept an eye on the shadows on the floor. No telling when the other one might come back.

The Doctor pointed out to the guy who'd identified himself as 'Other Dave', apparently the pilot had joined the team first and so was known as 'Proper Dave', that the way they'd just come in had suddenly become mysteriously dark.

"We'll have to find another way out," the Doctor muttered.

The slightly plump man cut in then, saying, "We're not looking for a way out. Miss Evangelista?"

A very pretty girl approached them then with some blue sheets of paper. "I'm Mr Lux's personal, well, everything. You need to sign these contracts stating that your personal experiences in The Library are the intellectual property of the Fellman-Lux Corporation." She proffered the aforementioned contracts to the three of them which they promptly tore up.

"My family built this library – I have rights!" Mr Lux protested, but Professor Song interrupted him.

"You have a mouth that won't stop," she told him, and then turned to the Doctor. "You think there's danger here?" she asked, looking away from him to glance at Martha for a second.

"Something came to this library and killed everything in it, killed a whole world. Danger? Could be!" he retorted, clearly exasperated. Martha moved closer, reclaiming his hand, but at the same time, making sure their shadows didn't cross.

"That was a hundred years ago, The Library has been silent for a hundred years – whatever came here is long dead," Professor Song declared and the Doctor stared her down.

"Bet your life?" he asked, and River smiled in a way which reminded Martha of her husband.

"Always," she replied.

Mr Lux went over to Other Dave to ask why he was sealing the doors on the Doctor's instructions, and the Doctor took the opportunity to pilfer Mr Lux's torch. Out of the corner of her eye, Martha could see River was watching her. She looked almost... hurt.

She could hear the Doctor talking to Donna and decided to listen, putting the riddle of River Song to the back of her mind for the moment. "Almost every species has an irrational fear of the dark, but they're wrong – 'cause it's not irrational," the Doctor was saying, and Martha could feel her heart pounding in her chest, "it's Vashta Nerada."

"What's Vashta Nerada?" Donna wanted to know.

"It's what's in the dark," the Doctor began. "It's what's always in the dark," she echoed him as he said the words. She'd always been afraid of the dark herself, even as a child. Lady Silverhair too, until she was grown – she'd hated the dark – a bit of a problem it had been too, since she'd grown up in the swamps and when the sun went down, there were no streetlights to guide your way.

If there was one thing Lady Silverhair loathed more than the undead or even Pyroviles, it was the Vashta Nerada. Martha shared this hatred, and the fear which came with it. If she was honest with herself, she understood why too – you can't fight Vashta Nerada, you can only run. And with that came the fear that one day there would be nowhere left to run – one day, they would get you.

"Lights! That's what we need – you got lights?" The Doctor's voice shook Martha from her introspection. He was telling the expedition team to set up a circle of lights pointing outwards.

* * *

**The Doctor**

Martha stepped into the centre of the circular design on the floor, and raised her hands. She muttered something, and then a big ball of light – like a mini sun, hovered over their heads. "It's not pointing outwards, but at least you'll be able to see what you're doing," she explained when everyone stared at her.

Surprisingly, River shrugged, seemingly not surprised by a display which some might call magic.

"How did you do that?" Proper Dave asked, and Martha shrugged, coming over to stand with the Doctor.

"Proper Dave, just leave her be for now. Come on, we need to set these lights up," River told him.

"You're not listening to them, are you?" Mr Lux protested, and River sighed at him.

"Apparently, I am. Anita, unpack the lights. Other Dave, make sure the door is secure and then help Anita. Mr Lux, put your helmet back on and block the visor. Proper Dave, see if you can access a library terminal, I want you try and find out what happened here a hundred years ago. Pretty Boy, and Mu-Martha – you're with me, step into my office."

Since he was lying on the floor, looking at the shadows and facing away from everyone else, the Doctor didn't see Martha frown and then make her way over to River Song. Instead, he got up and went over to Proper Dave, saying that he could maybe help him.

"Pretty Boy? With me, I said!" River called over to him, and he turned surprised.

"Oh, I'm Pretty Boy?" he asked Donna, who was standing nearby.

"Yes!" she said, exasperated. "Oh, that came out a bit quick."

"Pretty?" he questioned, incredulous. Then he shrugged and started walking over. "Don't let your shadows cross," he warned the rest of the team. "Seriously, don't let them even touch, any of them could be infected" he added, before joining his wife and River by a desk.

"How can a shadow be infected?" protested Other Dave, but the Doctor ignored him for now.

He and Martha waited while River fished various things out of her bag. He got a little impatient, though, and cleared his throat significantly.

"Thanks," she said, pulling out a book with a blue cover and leafing through it.

"For what?" he asked.

"The usual. For coming when I call," she told him, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh, that was you," he commented and River sighed.

"You're doing a very good job acting like you don't know me, both of you. I'm assuming there's reason."

"Well, a fairly good one," he replied, glancing at Martha, and then back to Professor Song.

"Right, shall we do diaries, where are we this time?" She'd opened the book and was alternating between looking at its pages, and then at him and Martha. "Going by your faces, I'd say it was early days for you two, yeah, so um, crash of the Byzantium, have we done that yet?" She looked at them both intently, taking in their silence and then turning more pages.

"Obviously ringing no bells. Ah, picnic at Asgard, have we done Asgard yet?" she asked, clearly remembering something she'd enjoyed, since her face had lit up. "Obviously not, blimey, very early days then. Phew, life of a time traveller, never knew it could be such hard work," she said, looking back at her book and flicking through the pages again.

For their parts, Martha and the Doctor just looked back at her blankly. Who was this woman, and how did she know them, when they clearly had no idea who she was?

"_Is she from our future?"_ Martha suggested silently to him, and he turned to look at her.

_"I think she must be. Remember what I said about non-linear time,"_ he reminded her, and he heard her laugh in his mind. He was glad of it, to be frank, he'd been feeling almost constant fear coming from her since they'd arrived, and was worried about the effect it might have on her and the babies.

_"You're just trying not to say, 'wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey' again!"_ she accused and he also laughed in their minds.

_"You're never going to let me forget that are you?" _he retorted, smiling at her, almost getting lost in her eyes.

"Um," River said, calling them back to the real world for a moment. She stared at both of them, amazement in her face. "Look at you," she began, "you're _young_,"

"I'm really not, you know," the Doctor told her, thinking that, depending on your point of view, neither was Martha, not any more.

"No, but you are, your eyes," she said placing a hand on each of their faces. "You're younger than I've ever seen you," she went on, awe and wonder in her voice.

"You've seen us before then," Martha said, glancing at the hand which was stroking her face with wary eyes.

"Doctor, Martha – please tell me you know who I am," she said, worry in her voice.

"Who are you?" The Doctor asked, and River drew back from them, with pain filled eyes.

They were interrupted by a bleeping noise of some kind, which Proper Dave said he had caused when he was trying to get through the security protocols.

* * *

**Donna**

She kept quiet while everyone was working and her friends were talking to the Professor. She did eavesdrop on their conversation, but didn't feel bad about it, since she knew that if she hadn't, one or both of them would tell her everything later anyway.

She felt sorry for Miss Evangelista though. Other Dave and Anita had fobbed her off when she offered to help them, and then laughed at her when her back was turned. When the bleeping noise started, she frowned for a moment. It sounded familiar.

"Doctor, that sounds like a phone," Donna said, and he agreed.

"I'm trying to call up the data core, but it's not responding – it's just that noise," Proper Dave said, and everyone crowded round the console he was using.

"But it's a phone!" Donna insisted and was a little irritated when it seemed like no one was listening to her. Then Martha was there.

"You're right, Donna. It sounds just like a phone. Hang on, Proper Dave said he was trying to 'call up' the data core," she murmured and Donna reckoned she was the only one who could hear Martha. "What if he meant that literally?" Martha added, but Donna wasn't entirely sure what her friend was going on about.

The Doctor was fiddling with the terminal thing, and Donna heard a gasp from the people surrounding him. She couldn't see anything, but she heard him having a conversation with what sounded like a little girl. A moment later he was dashing across the room, calling out that they needed to get the lights set up, and then going over to another console.

She watched Martha go to join him, and then both of them stare at a blue book, on a shelf next to the other terminal. It was the one Donna had seen River Song pull out of her bag earlier. When the Doctor picked it up though, River took it off him and told him he wasn't allowed to see inside the book.

"It's against the rules," she told him.

"What rules?" the Doctor asked, indignant.

River glanced at the Doctor and Martha, before replying, "Your rules," and walking away.

Donna had to duck rapidly a few minutes later, as books started flying from the shelves on their own! This was starting to become her least favourite trip, ever. Even facing down a husband-stealing giant spider had been better than this!

"What's CAL?" She heard the Doctor ask and unseen, she rolled her eyes at him. She looked over and saw Miss Evangelista looked really upset, and was glad that at least there was someone here she could help.

"You alright?" Donna asked her, and the younger woman looked at her with frightened eyes.

"What's that? What's happening?" she asked, and Proper Dave called out, "Don't know,"

"Oh, um, thanks, you know, for offering to help out with the lights," Donna said to Miss Evangelista, trying to get her to focus on something else.

"They don't want me," the young woman replied. "They think I'm stupid because I'm pretty."

"Of course they don't, no one thinks that!" Donna told her. The kamikaze books had stopped for the minute, and they both sighed with relief.

"No, they're right though. I'm a moron, me. My Dad said I had the IQ of plankton and I was pleased,"

Donna laughed. "See, that's funny!" she told her.

"No, I really was pleased. Is that funny?" Miss Evangelista asked and Donna did some hasty back-pedalling.

"No, no." She was sort of glad when the books started flying again, since it got her out of that awkward moment.

"What's causing that? Is it the little girl?" Professor Song asked, and the Doctor turned to answer her.

"Who is the little girl?" he began.

"And what has she got to do with this place?" Martha finished.

They'd been doing that more and more often since they had bonded and Donna had had to learn to take it in her stride. It was more difficult to cope with when they weren't standing next to each other – that's when you felt like you were watching a tennis match.

* * *

**Martha**

A fleeting smile crossed River's face when Martha finished the Doctor's sentence for him. It had almost seemed fond, like it was something she had witnessed before and hearing it now brought back happy memories.

"How does the data core work? What's the principle? What's CAL?" the Doctor wanted to know.

"Ask Mr Lux," River told him, and they turned to the slightly plump man.

"CAL – what is it?" Martha asked him.

"Sorry, you didn't sign your personal experience contracts," the man said and she glared at him.

She walked around the desk they'd been using and went to stand in front of him, her husband right behind her. With the difference in their heights she had to look up a bit to meet his eyes, but that didn't stop her.

"Mr Lux, right now you're in more danger than you've ever been in, your whole life. And you're protecting a _patent_." She practically hissed the last word at him.

"I'm protecting my family's pride," he retorted.

"Well, funny thing, Mr Lux," the Doctor cut in, "We don't want to see everyone in this room dead, because some idiot thinks his pride is more important."

"Then why didn't you sign his contract?" River asked and they both turned to look at her.

The three of them stared at each other for a long moment before River spoke again, "I didn't either. I'm getting worse than you two," she said ruefully.

"OK, OK, OK, let's start at the beginning," the Doctor said, taking Martha's hand and leading her over to where Donna was standing. Suddenly the arrangement of people in the room felt a bit, 'us and them'. "On the actual day, a hundred years ago, what physically happened?" he demanded.

"There was a message from the library," River told them, "'_the lights are going out_', then the computer sealed the planet, and there was nothing for a hundred years."

"It's taken three generations of my family just to decode the seals and get back in," Mr Lux admitted, but was interrupted by the voice of his personal assistant.

"Um, excuse me?" She asked from behind them.

"Not just now," Mr Lux dismissed her.

Later Martha would curse her distraction that she, too, ignored the young woman. Distraction, or arrogance, that was.

"There was one other thing in the last message," Professor Song began, reaching down to her bag.

"That's confidential," Mr Lux began, but she interrupted him.

"I trust this man, and this woman, with my life – with everything," she said, causing Donna to look at them both with confusion. Martha herself was equally baffled.

"_Clearly, she knows us, but we don't know her. She knows us very well, too, it seems," _she observed silently to the Doctor. She felt his agreement but he didn't say anything.

"You've only just met them!" Mr Lux shot back at River.

"No, they've only just met me," she retorted, and then showed Martha and the Doctor something on a handheld device of some kind.

"Um, this might be important actually," Miss Evangelista cut in again, but Mr Lux dismissed her once more. Unfortunately, so did everyone else.

"This is the data extract which came with the message," River explained and the Doctor read it aloud.

"4,022 saved, no survivors."

"4,022 – that's the exact number of people that were in The Library when the planet was sealed," River told them.

"But how can 4,022 people have been saved, if there were no survivors?" Donna wanted to know. The four of them, River, the Doctor, Donna and Martha exchanged looks. None of them were sure what it meant.

"That's what we're here to find out," River told them.

"So far, what we haven't found, are any bodies," Mr Lux put in at this point. They stood and puzzled over it for a few moments, before a shrill scream interrupted them from behind.

_"Miss Evangelista!_" Martha exclaimed silently to the Doctor. She gestured with one hand and from overhead her ball of light followed them through a door which had suddenly appeared in the panelling of one of the walls, and into what looked like a reading room.

The sight which greeted them was equally as gruesome as it was tragic. The Vashta Nerada had got to Miss Evangelista and all that was left of her was her shredded space suit, and her bones. Her bones were a stark white, not a scrap of flesh remained on them.

"Everyone be careful – stay in the light," the Doctor said, looking grimly at the remains of the young woman.

"You keep saying that," Proper Dave began, "but I don't see the point."

"Who screamed?" the Doctor asked him.

"Miss Evangelista," he replied warily.

"And where is she?" the Doctor pressed, his tone soft, but harsh. Martha knew why he was being harsh with these people – they seemed to have no concept of the mortal danger they were all in.

River tried to contact Miss Evangelista on her communicator, but only heard an echo. This made them admit the truth – the skeleton on the chair in front of them was all that was left of the woman they knew.

"But we heard her scream only a few seconds ago," Anita protested, disbelief in her voice. "What could do that to a person in a few seconds?"

"Took a lot less than a few seconds," Martha spoke up. Her voice was low, but in the silence of The Library, everyone heard her.

"What did?" Anita demanded, but was interrupted by the voice of Miss Evangelista.

The communications equipment the team were using could retain a copy of a person's consciousness after death, they called it a data 'ghost'. Miss Evangelista was asking for 'the nice woman', meaning Donna. Her words to Donna made the rest of the team feel ashamed.

"What I said before, about being stupid – don't tell the others, they'll only laugh."

The pattern which was holding the impression of her mind began degrading, and she started to repeat herself. When she started looping the phrase, 'I scream,' River asked if anyone minded if she switched the device off. No one did, so she stepped forward and put Miss Evangelista to rest.

"That was, that was horrible. That was the most horrible thing I've ever seen," Donna said, tears streaming down her face. The Doctor reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, and Martha stepped forward to take her hand.

Professor Song sighed, and put Miss Evangelista's communicator into her pocket. "It's just a freak of technology," she said, apparently unaware that Donna was from the 21st century and such things were not commonplace for her. "But, whatever did this to her – whatever killed her – I'd like a word with that!" River said angrily.

"I'll introduce you," the Doctor declared.

* * *

**The Doctor**

He led the way back into the room in which they'd originally found the security camera, and asked for a packed lunch. River crouched to get one out of her backpack, and he and Martha crouched down with her. Well, Martha bent down, crouching was a little beyond her at this point.

It was funny, but even though she herself complained about her increased girth, every time he saw her belly so full of child – full of his children, he felt his hearts in his throat, and his knees went weak. She had never been more beautiful to him than she was now.

When he saw River pull the blue book out to get access to something deeper in her pack, he couldn't help asking, "What's in that book?"

"Spoilers," was all River would say.

"Who are you?" he pressed.

"Professor River Song, University of – "

"To us, who are you to us?" he insisted, indicating himself and Martha.

"Again, spoilers. Chicken and liberty salad, knock yourself out," she replied, holding out said salad in a metal tin. They both stared at her for a moment – him and Martha, before nodding in acceptance. For the moment, anyway, they had bigger problems.

"Right, you lot," the Doctor said, standing with the salad in one hand, and a torch in the other. "Let's all meet the Vashta Nerada," he said, and then he moved off to edge of the light circle and began scanning for signs of a swarm.

"Martha, can you move your light back a bit please," he asked, getting down on the ground and moving his sonic around. Martha did so and then stood off to one side, waiting.

He could hear Donna talking to River Song. "You travel with them, don't you? You travel with the Doctor, and Martha?" she was asking Donna.

"What of it?" Donna retorted a touch frostily. "You know them, don't you?" she added.

"Oh God, do I know them. We go way back, those two and me, just not this far back."

"Sorry, what?" Donna said blankly.

"I sent them a message," River told her. "But it went wrong, it arrived too early. This is the Doctor and Martha in the days before they knew me. And they look at me, and they look right through me, and it shouldn't kill me – but it does."

"What are you talking about? Are you just talking rubbish? Do you know them, or don't you?" Donna demanded crossly.

"Donna!" he scolded, "Quiet, I'm working."

"Sorry," Donna muttered.

"Donna? You're Donna, Donna Noble!" River's voice sounded surprised.

_"How come she knows us, but not Donna?"_ Martha asked him silently.

_"Maybe, well, maybe Donna's not with us any more, when we meet River. Whole of time and space, remember – we might not meet River again for fifty, or even a hundred years," _he told her softly, unsure of whether he was trying to reassure himself or his wife. He decided it was a bit of both.

"I do know the Doctor and Martha," River assured Donna, "But in the future. Their _personal _future," she explained.

"So, why don't you know me? Where am I in the future?" Donna wanted to know, and River's silence said it all.

"OK, we've got a live one," the Doctor broke into the awkward silence, standing and facing the others. Martha moved to stand beside him.

"It's not darkness down those tunnels," she began for him.

"This is not a shadow," he continued. "It's a swarm, a man eating swarm."

He bent down and threw a piece of chicken into the swarm, it was stripped bare in less than a second.

"The piranhas of the air," Martha said solemnly.

"Vashta Nerada, literally 'the shadows that melt the flesh'," the Doctor added. "Most planets have them, but usually in small clusters. I've never seen an infestation on this scale before, or this aggressive," he mused.

Donna had come up behind them and cut in at this point, "What d'you mean, 'most planets'? Not Earth?" she asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, Earth too. And a billion other planets. Where there's meat, there's Vashta Nerada. You can see them sometimes, if you look – the dust in sunbeams," the Doctor said, not totally insensitive to the chills which were likely going down Donna's spine at the moment.

"If they were on Earth, we'd know," she hedged, not wanting to believe him.

"Well, normally the live on roadkill. Sometimes people go missing, not everyone comes back out of the dark,"

"Every shadow?" River interrupted them, and the Doctor glanced over his shoulder at her.

"No, not every shadow – but any shadow," he replied, thinking at the same time that it was small comfort.

"So, what do we do?" River urged.

"Daleks? Aim for the eyestalk. Sontarans? Back of the neck. Vashta Nerada? Run, just run," and then he understood why Martha was so frightened. Because this was something she couldn't fight, this was something no one could fight. He'd said to her, when they were on the _Titanic_ that together they could do anything, but this time it seemed as though they were faced with an enemy they could not fight.

And Martha was carrying their sons.

* * *

**Donna**

"Run, but run where?" River asked frantically, and Donna looked around for any clue. Then she saw it.

"Doctor, the little shop – they always try and make you go to the little shop on the way out so they can sell you something!" she reminded him and he ran over to take a look.

"Brilliant, that's why I love the little shop!" he replied and she felt slightly less terrified than she was before. They all started running towards the shop and the teleports the Doctor said were inside, when the Doctor stopped Proper Dave in his tracks.

He had two shadows. The Vashta Nerada had latched on to him – the Doctor said it was how they hunted. He got Proper Dave to put his helmet back on, and got the others to make their space suits denser, hoping this would stop the Vashta Nerada from being able to chew through them.

The Doctor used his sonic to dial up the density by eight hundred percent, but when he offered the sonic to Professor Song so that she could pass it on, she produced her own sonic screwdriver. This knocked the Doctor for six. It didn't stop him grabbing Donna and Martha and dragging them into the shop.

"What are we doing? Are we shopping? Is it a good time for a shop?" Donna said, looking at the trinkets on display.

"No talking, just moving – try it – just stand there, in the middle – it's a teleport. Can't send the others, TARDIS won't recognise them." He was twisting dials on a console of some sort, and had apparently not noticed that Martha hadn't got onto the teleport.

Martha did something then which she rarely did – she planted a thought directly into Donna's mind. "_I'm not using that teleport, it's safe for you, but not for the babies,"_ She told her and Donna sent a thought back to her, down the same temporary conduit.

_"Give him hell for me, and watch out for those little ones," _

Out loud, she asked the Doctor, "What are you doing?" She was trying to distract him from Martha, who was silently and speedily walking out of the shop.

"It's not safe, I'm sending you to the TARDIS," he replied and she frowned.

"You don't have a suit either, you're not safe and I'm not leaving you!" she declared, and he looked up at her.

"Donna, let me explain," he said and then the world turned into a blur. For a moment, she could see the inside of the TARDIS, but then something else happened, and she screamed.

* * *

**Martha**

When she left the shop, River saw her and approached warily. "I thought you were going to teleport out of here?" she asked, concern in her expression and voice.

"That thing is pretty old, and while it's safe for Donna, it's not safe for the babies," she explained, gearing herself up to have this argument with the Doctor in a few moments.

"So you are pregnant then," River looked deep into her eyes for a moment, and then seemed to come to a decision. "Your first?"

"Yes," Martha replied warily, wondering if she was giving something away. But then, since River seemed to know her already, it was likely she knew a lot about Martha's personal timeline anyway.

"I see, well, hold on to your hat, because trouble's coming." She nodded to something behind Martha, who didn't need to turn around to know it was her husband, and that he was not a happy bunny.

"Martha, get on that teleport right now, or so help me –"

"Doctor, be rational for a moment please." Ah, wrong thing to say, he was looking even more angry now. "There's three people living in this body of mine right now, and I am not going to trust a teleport, which hasn't even seen a service engineer for at least a hundred years, to reassemble myself and our two sons correctly," she told him matter of factly. She could tell she was getting through to him, but she could also sense that he was still terrified at the thought of her and the babies being caught by the Vashta Nerada.

"But, Martha, please – I don't know what to do, if anything happens to you or the boys," he pulled her close and rested his forehead against hers. The other people in the room felt like they were intruding on an extremely private moment.

Mr Lux had to go and spoil it though, "Oh, so you're pregnant then? Right, I see," he said, as if that explained it all. Martha narrowed her eyes at him.

"What? You just thought I was fat? Is that it?" she demanded and wondered if the man was more scared of her or the shadows just then.

"No, no, not at all, I, ah..." His voice trailed off as he could find no way to dig himself out of the hole he now found himself in.

Martha placed a hand on either side of her husband's head and spoke directly into his mind. "_Look, there is something I can do. Remember when I told you that I might be able to travel in time and space without a capsule? Well, the TARDIS and I have been working on it. I can't time travel as yet, I haven't even tried because of the babies, but I can transport myself directly into the TARDIS from here. It's not like a teleport, there's no danger of my atoms being scrambled or anything. If it means that much to you, I'll do it. I don't want to leave you, but just like with the Vespiform, if you'd rather I was in the TARDIS, then I'll go." _

She waited for him to think it over, almost certain she knew what his answer would be.

"_I wish I could keep you with me, but for the sake of our children, please, go to the TARDIS,"_ he replied and she nodded.

"Take this," she said, placing her hands on his head in a semblance of a blessing, and causing his skin to glow softly. "And see you soon," she kissed him soundly, pouring every ounce of her feelings into it, and then took a step back.

She shimmered for a moment, and then she was gone.

* * *

**_To be continued..._**


	11. Part Eleven: The Forest of the Dead

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction story and not written for any financial gain of any kind. All rights to Doctor Who and any associated material belong to the BBC and any other affiliated entities. Thanks. Also, the story of Lady Silverhair comes from Neverwinter Nights 2, which is the property of Atari, Obsidian, Wizards of the Coast and any other involved parties.  


* * *

**

**A/N: OK, if you've read this far you know that this is a blatant Super!Martha fic, and is a Martha/10th Doctor romance. Please hit the back button if either of these things offends you. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review, I really appreciate it. Please feel free to put in suggestions if you have them.**

**Thanks also to the very patient Persiflage for beta reading.**

* * *

**Part Eleven: **The Forest of the Dead

* * *

"I do not distinguish by the eye, but by the mind, which is the proper judge."

**Seneca**

* * *

**The Doctor**

He was not happy until he received a mental call from Martha to tell him she was safely on board the TARDIS. There was cause for concern, however, because apparently there was no sign of Donna. Martha said she would investigate, so he put it to the back of his mind for the moment. It was all he could do, when the people out here were still in mortal danger.

"Where did she go? Why didn't she take any of us with her?" demanded Mr Lux, after he'd witnessed Martha's disappearing act.

"She went to our ship, and she can't take you with her because you're human." The Doctor explained, looking down at the floor and discovering that Proper Dave now only had one shadow. That was not good, not good at all.

"What do you mean, 'because I'm human'? So is she!" Mr Lux protested.

"No, she's not, now shut up!" the Doctor retorted angrily, turning back to Proper Dave. "Just stand still, alright – they're never gone, and they never give up."

"Hey! Who turned out the lights!?!" Proper Dave suddenly shouted. The Doctor got him to turn around, and was dismayed to see the man's visor had gone dark. The Vashta Nerada were inside his suit.

Proper Dave's body shook for a moment, but even though he assured them he was fine, the Doctor knew the truth. He was dead.

The swarm, still in the suit, attacked him then, grabbing him by the shoulders. River drove it off with a blast from her sonic screwdriver. She then opened an escape for them, by blasting a wall with a squarness gun, and they ran through the square shaped hole. The suit chased them, looking pretty horrifying with Proper Dave's skull looking blankly at them through the visor.

After running for quite some time, they found a place to hide among the stacks. The Doctor used his sonic to try and boost the lights which were hanging from the ceiling. He was still glowing, thanks to Martha, but he didn't know how long that would last.

"Light doesn't stop them, but it can slow them down," he explained to the others, and assumed that that was why his wife had made him glow, it was a bit like an armour of light.

River Song came over to help him, holding her own sonic screwdriver up to the light fitting. Hers seemed to work much faster, and better than his.

"Your screwdriver looks exactly like mine." The Doctor observed suspiciously.

"Yeah, you gave it to me," River replied, and though the Doctor didn't know it, River was remembering when he and Martha gave it to her. It was a congratulations present, on gaining her Professorship at the University.

The card attached had read, "_To River, the most beautiful and brilliant daughter in the world, love Martha and Pretty Boy, aka, Mum and Dad."_

"I don't give my screwdriver to anyone," the Doctor declared, getting really suspicious now.

"I'm not anyone," River asserted.

"Who are you?" the Doctor breathed softly, but she ignored him. He sighed, but played along. River's true identity could wait, the Vashta Nerada could not.

"I teleported Donna back to the TARDIS, Martha's gone there too. If we don't get back there in five hours, Emergency Programme One will activate."

"And take Donna home. Though, can't Martha stop that?" River asked and he frowned.

"Well yeah, she could, since the TARDIS will take orders from her – how in the Nine Hells do you know all this?" he demanded and River smiled sadly at him.

"I wish I could tell you, but I promised I wouldn't. You know how it is, timelines, paradoxes – I _can't _tell you." Any further questions the Doctor intended to put to River, were laid aside when his wife contacted him.

"_Doctor, she's not here – she's not anywhere on the TARDIS!"_ Martha practically screamed in his mind, and he put a hand to his head for a moment. That was something they needed to work on – not overwhelming each other when in a moment of extreme stress.

"She's not there – Martha says Donna's not there!" he exclaimed to River.

"Maybe the coordinates slipped, the equipment is ancient," she suggested.

He ran to a nearby courtesy node and asked it to locate Donna. When it turned around, the appearance of the facial aspect made him stare with horror.

The node was wearing Donna's face.

"Donna Noble has left The Library. Donna Noble has been saved," the node kept repeating to them.

* * *

**Donna**

Donna woke to find herself sitting on a bed in a nondescript room, wearing blue pyjamas, with no idea how she got there. Before she could get stuck into a right old panic, there was a knock at the door and a man in a dark suit with wire framed glasses came in.

"Hello Donna," he said warmly.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Dr Moon; I've been treating you since you came here, two years ago," he replied, and suddenly she could see it in her mind.

"Oh right, Dr Moon, I'm so sorry. What's wrong with me? I didn't know you for a moment there," she said, feeling flustered.

"And then, you remembered," he replied. "Shall we go for a walk?"

* * *

She was walking in the grounds with Dr Moon, wearing a purple coat, and he was asking her about her dreams.

"The Doctor, the blue box, time and space?" he was asking her. She looked around, astonished.

"How did we get here?" she wanted to know.

"We came down the stairs, out the front door – we passed Mrs Ally on the way out," he said and she suddenly she could see it.

"Yeah, yeah, we did," she said, "I forgot that,"

"And then you remembered," Dr Moon said with a smile. "Shall we go down to the river?"

* * *

"You said river, and suddenly we're feeding ducks," Donna said with a frown. A voice from behind them almost made her jump.

"Dr Moon! Good morning!" A dark haired man was coming towards them, carrying fishing gear.

"Donna Noble – Lee McAvoy," Dr Moon introduced them. Lee had some trouble pronouncing her name since he had a stammer. She told him to skip straight to a vowel – they're easier, she said.

"How did we leave it, him and me?" Donna asked Dr Moon as they were walking away from the river.

"I got the impression he was inviting you fishing, tomorrow," Dr Moon told her.

* * *

Donna found herself stepping into Lee's room, dressed up to the nines.

"So," she said, "fishing?"

Lee smiled at her from where he was standing by the windows.

* * *

Donna was sitting under an umbrella by the river with Lee. He was trying to say something to her.

"Gorgeous, and can't speak a word," she said, looking at him. "What am I going to do with you?"

* * *

Lee was carrying Donna across the threshold of their new house, she was wearing a wedding dress. Part of her noticed it was the same dress she wore to her not-wedding to Lance. But the idea slipped away from her mind so fast, she didn't register it.

"Welcome home, Mrs McAvoy," Lee said.

* * *

Donna was walking into her living room, bringing Dr Moon some tea, and her twins were running riot through the house.

"Stop it, stop it now – we've got a visitor," she scolded, and went to sit with Dr Moon on the sofa.

"You've done so much in seven years, Donna," Dr Moon said to her.

"Sometimes it feels more like seventy," she told him. "Mind you, sometimes it feels like no time at all."

Dr Moon stood up and retrieved his briefcase. "Can I just say what a pleasure it is to see you, fully integrated," he said. Then suddenly the image of him seemed to waver and the man she recognised from her dreams as the Doctor appeared in front of her. He was muttering something about interference and a signal from a moon.

"Donna!" he called out and she backed away in fear.

Then, just as suddenly as the other man had appeared, Dr Moon was back. "Sorry, Mrs Andrew's rhubarb surprise – will I never learn," he said reassuringly.

"The Doctor – I saw the Doctor!" she said and Dr Moon nodded.

"Yes Donna, you did. And then, you forgot," he said.

Donna stared into space for a moment, and then got up. "Dr Moon! Oh, hello. Shall I make you a cup of tea?"

* * *

**The Doctor**

He followed River as she blasted another hole in one of the walls with her squareness gun. They had arrived at another atrium of sorts, unfortunately, the light overhead was fading.

"Sunset's coming," River said, looking up at the sky. "We can't stay long,"

The Doctor wasting no time, immediately got started on scanning for swarms.

"Have you found a live one?" River asked and he frowned.

"Maybe, it's getting harder to tell," he said, banging his screwdriver for a moment. "What's wrong with this thing?" he puzzled aloud.

"We're going to need a chicken leg, who's got a chicken leg?" River asked her team. Other Dave handed one over, which River then unwrapped and threw into the shadows in front of the Doctor. Just like before, it was stripped clean in less than a second, the stark, white bone bouncing as it hit the ground.

"It won't attack until there's enough of them," the Doctor said, "but they've got our scent now."

He carried on with his scanning, doing the best he could, but his screwdriver was being temperamental. It was almost as if there was something interfering with it – another signal.

River's team had started questioning her, talking softly, completely unaware that he could hear every word. If Professor Song really knew him as well as she seemed, she would be aware that he had superior hearing. What the significance of that was though, he didn't know.

"Who is he?" Other Dave asked. "You haven't even told us – you just expect us to trust him," he added,

"He's the Doctor," River said simply.

"And who is the Doctor?" Mr Lux asked, sounding pretty annoyed.

"The only story you'll ever tell, if you survive here," she replied, still sounding breathless from the running they'd been doing.

"You say he's your friend," Anita pressed on, "but he doesn't even know who you are, neither did the other one, his wife."

"Look, all you need to know is this – I'd trust them both to the end of the universe, and actually – we've been,"

Anita glanced at the Doctor for a moment, before turning back to River. "He doesn't act like he trusts you, and _she_ barely even –"

River interrupted her, "Yeah, well there's a tiny problem – they haven't met me yet!"

She rose and made her way over to the Doctor, who was still having problems with his scanning. He was holding the sonic up to his ear, trying to work out why it wasn't working.

"What's wrong with it?" she asked, and he frowned.

"A signal, coming from somewhere, interfering with it,"

"Well, use the red settings," she suggested, and his frown deepened as he looked up at her.

"It doesn't have red settings!" he retorted sharply.

"Well, use the dampers, then," she returned.

"It doesn't have dampers!" he shot back.

"One day, it will," River replied, proffering the screwdriver she had been using earlier.

The Doctor rose to his feet. "So, sometime in the future, I just give you my screwdriver?" he queried and she smiled.

"Yeah," River confirmed.

"Why would I do that?" he wanted to know. Her eyes narrowed.

"I didn't pluck it from your cold, dead hands, if that's what you're worried about," she declared.

"And I know that, because?" he demanded.

"Listen to me, you've lost your friend, you're separated from your pregnant wife, you're angry – I understand. But you need to be less emotional, Doctor. Right now,"

"Less emotional? I'm not emotional!"

"There are five people in this room – still alive – focus on that! Dear God, you're hard work young!"

"Young? WHO ARE YOU?"

He was really starting to lose it now, but before he could go any further, he felt Martha's mind pressing closer to his.

_"Don't take it out on her, darling. She's only trying to help. This must have happened to you before – meeting someone who knows you from your future,"_ she said silently to him, and he took a deep mental breath.

Inside his mind, where it was only him and Martha, he dropped his facade, and showed her just how scared he really was. After receiving the mental equivalent of a hug from his wife, he turned his attention back to River Song.

"Oh, for heaven's sake! Look at the pair of you! We're all going to die here, and you're busy squabbling!" Mr Lux had got up and was shouting at them from across the room.

"Doctor, one day I'm going to be someone you trust, completely. But I can't wait for you to find that out. So I'm going to prove it to you. And I'm sorry. I'm really sorry," she said, her eyes sad as she looked into his.

She leaned in close to him, placing her hand on his arm, out of sight of the others. He glanced down, and watched as she pulled her sleeve back, exposing a small patch of bare skin on her wrist. She angled it towards the light coming from the ceiling, what there was of it, and moved closer to whisper in his ear.

"Look at my wrist," she moved back then, but kept her skin exposed for a few moments. He sent the image to Martha, hoping she might see something if he didn't.

The saw it pretty much the same time, however. River had a tattoo, similar to the ones they gained after their bonding. Only, River's was red, blood red. She must have seen his expression change and realised he had seen it, because she began to withdraw.

He placed his hand on her arm, directly on the tattoo, and he felt their minds join for a moment. In that moment, they both knew.

He and Martha, they knew who this woman was. They knew how she had got the tattoo, and the screwdriver, and how she knew the two of them. They didn't know when or what would happen to bring it about, but they knew – River Song was their _adopted daughter_.

The tattoo was part of blood adoption which was common among the peoples of Abeir-Toril. The Doctor was guessing that they had used that particular ceremony, because they had wanted her to be biologically related to them, and there was no such practice in Gallifreyan culture. If you weren't a full blood Time Lord then you had no status on Gallifrey.

He wondered why she had said she was sorry. Was it because she had broken the rule about imparting knowledge of future events? But, given the situation, he could understand. They needed to work together if they were going to have any chance of survival, and this was the fastest way for her to show him that she could be trusted.

Of course she could be trusted – she was _family_.

He was certain the rest of her team had no idea what had just transpired. To them it would look like she had whispered something in his ear.

"Are we good?" she asked, looking anxiously at him. "Doctor, are we good?" she pressed as he stared at her, trying to pull himself together.

"Yeah," he breathed, his mind racing at a hundred miles per hour, wondering where he and his wife would meet her, why they would adopt her, who she was before she met them...

"Yeah, we're good," he replied, before impulsively reaching out and giving her a hug. She returned it warmly, and when he released her she put her screwdriver away and joined the rest of her team.

He heaved a great sigh, and then also joined them, acting a lot more like his old self.

"Now, what's interesting about my screwdriver, it's very hard to interfere with – there's virtually nothing strong enough... well apart from some hair dryers, but I'm working on that. So, there is a very strong signal, coming from somewhere, and it wasn't there before – so what's new? What's changed?" he asked, pacing around the team.

They just looked at him blankly. "Come on! What's new, what's different?" he demanded.

"_Moonrise,"_ Martha whispered in his mind.

"Moonrise," he repeated aloud, thanking her silently, glad and reassured that she was paying such close attention to them. "Tell me about the moon, what's there?" he asked Mr Lux.

"It's not real, it was built as part of The Library, it's just a Doctor Moon."

"What's a Doctor Moon?"

"A virus checker," Mr Lux told him. "It supports and protects the main computer at the core of the planet."

He got the screwdriver out again and showed the others that someone was alive and communicating with the moon. Or, alive and drying their hair. He tried to isolate the signal, but ended up producing an image of Donna. He tried desperately to get her back, but he was being blocked.

Tragically, Anita called for their attention at that point – she had two shadows. The team put their helmets back on, and the Doctor tinted Anita's visor, hoping to fool the swarm into thinking they were already inside her suit.

He glanced around, looking for the best way out of there, and spotted the sixth person in the room. A person who had not been there before. The swarm in the suit of Proper Dave had caught up with them. He quietly drew River's attention to it, and then it was back to the running for their lives.

* * *

**Donna**

A note had been put through her door, asking her to meet someone in the playground at the park, the next day. She had seen a woman all in black walking away from her and Lee's house, and so when she spotted the same woman sitting on a bench in the park, she made her way over to her.

What she found out horrified her, but she had suspected all along that something wasn't right. This world she was living in, her children, her marriage – none of it was real. She had been transferred into a computer system when the Doctor tried to teleport her into the TARDIS.

Good God, that meant the Doctor and Martha had no idea where she was! They must be going frantic – which was _not _goof for Martha or the babies! But what could she do from in here?

Nothing, that was what. Nothing.

Suddenly, she found herself at home, the sky had turned red and the children were terrified.

What was happening?

* * *

**Doctor**

The Doctor, River, and the remainder of her team were running along one of the walkways between the many towers which made up The Library. The Doctor told them to go on ahead, he wanted to try and talk to the Vashta Nerada, try to broker a deal of some sort – anything, in fact, to ensure the safety of his family and friends.

"It's a carnivorous swarm in a suit! You can't reason with it!" River protested, but she obviously knew him well enough to know when he couldn't be moved. She told Other Dave to stay with him and pull him out when he was too stupid to leave. Clearly, she knew him very well indeed.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?" came the voice of Proper Dave.

"There, you hear that? That's the very last thought of the man who wore that suit. Before you climbed inside and stripped his flesh. That's a man's soul, trapped inside a neural relay, going round and round forever. Now, if you didn't have the decency to let him go, how about this – use him. Talk to me!" The Doctor was edging away, as with each step the swarm drew closer.

"It's easy," he went on. "Neural relay, just point and think. Use him, talk to me."

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?" came the voice again.

"The Vashta Nerada live on all the worlds in this system, but you hunt in forests, what are you doing in a library?" he demanded.

"We should go! Doctor!" Other Dave called out to him.

"In a minute," he said, gesturing behind him and not looking away from the swarm. "You came to a library to hunt! Why? Just tell me why?"

It took a few tries for the swarm to work it out, but eventually he managed to speak with it and realised that the trees which had been used to make the paper for the books in The Library were from the forests of the Vashta Nerada. Their spores were caught in the pages of the books, and from the books they had spawned.

Tragically, while he had been waiting for him, Other Dave had been killed too. The only thing left for the Doctor to do was use his sonic on the floor, and escape to the underbelly of the walkway.

When he found the others, River was talking to Anita about her future travels with him and Martha.

"...and open the doors with a snap of his fingers. The Doctor and Martha – in the TARDIS – next stop everywhere!"

"Spoilers!" the Doctor scolded from behind them.

They got into a brief argument about whether it was possible to open the TARDIS with a snap of the fingers, with him insisting it couldn't be done, and River insisting it could. He didn't pursue it though, instead he went to check on Anita.

She still had two shadows, and after hearing what happened to Other Dave, Anita wondered why they hadn't taken her yet. She also wanted to know what River had said to him, which made him trust her, thinking that whatever it was would cheer her up too.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," she assured him, and something flickered in the Doctor's mind.

"Safe...safe... you don't say saved, you say safe!" He swung around to look at Mr Lux. "The data packet, what did it say?" he asked.

"4022 saved, no survivors," Mr Lux reminded him.

"Doctor?" River asked, probably wondering what had just occurred to him.

He worked it out then. 'Saved', meant literally 'saved', as in, saved to the hard drive. The hard drive, biggest one ever, which was at the core of the planet. Before they could formulate a plan as to how to resolve the situation, alarms blared out and the terminal they'd been using stated that the auto-destruct had been engaged.

The timer was set for twenty minutes.

Mr Lux told them that the Doctor Moon was designed to protect CAL, and that it would stop the auto destruct, but instead of the destruction being stopped, all the systems were taken offline.

"What is it? What's CAL?" the Doctor demanded of Mr Lux.

"We need to get to the main computer," Mr Lux answered reluctantly. "I'll show you," he promised.

"But that's at the core of the planet," the Doctor protested.

"Well then, let's go!" River said brightly, walking back to the centre of the room and pointing her sonic at the pattern on the floor, and opening it to reveal a gravity platform.

"_She's a chip off the old block,"_ Martha observed silently to the Doctor.

"_You're not wrong there,"_ he sent back.

When they got down to the core of the planet, they tried to access the main computer but were having no luck. It was as if it was asleep and dreaming.

"It _is_ dreaming," Mr Lux told them. "Of a normal life, a lovely dad, and every book ever written," he said, taking off his gloves and opening a cabinet. He pulled a lever, and a door opened to their left.

Inside, they discovered, was the main computer node. The face attached to it was exactly like the face of the little girl they'd seen in the terminal above.

"She's not _in _the computer," Mr Lux explained. "In a way, she _is _the computer. The main command node. This is CAL," he told them.

"CAL is a child? A child, hooked up to a mainframe? Why didn't you tell me? I needed to know this!" the Doctor asked, outraged.

"Because she's family!" Mr Lux retorted angrily. "CAL – Charlotte Abigail Lux. My grandfather's youngest daughter. She was dying, so he built her a library, and put her living mind inside. With a moon to watch over her – and all of human history to pass the time. Any era to live in, any book to read. She loved books, more than anything. And he gave her them all. He asked only that she be left in peace – a secret! Not a freak show."

"So, you weren't protecting a patent," the Doctor realised at last. "You were protecting her."

CAL had saved everyone in The Library when the shadows came. She had folded them into her dreams, and kept them safe. But she had barely enough space to do so, and her systems were failing.

The Doctor planned to lend his own memory to CAL to help her download the people she had saved, which would in turn make the computer reset and stop the countdown. River tried to argue with him, but he sent her away.

He was surprised at the silence coming from Martha, he thought she would try and fight him too. But when he connected to her, he discovered she had worn herself out in the transport and, with some encouragement from that old mother hen – the TARDIS – had finally succumbed to sleep. He did his best not to wake her, hoping that by the time she did wake up, the download would be complete, and she would never know how much danger he had been in. He hoped.

The Doctor had sent River and Mr Lux upstairs to look for data cells, and it was only him and Anita left. Anita questioned him on the Vashta Nerada, and he told her then what he already knew.

She only had one shadow.

The Vashta Nerada refused to make any kind of deal, at first, stating that The Library was their forest and any living thing in it was their meat. He pretty much lost his rag at that point.

"Don't play games with me! You just killed someone I liked, that is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor and you're the biggest library in the universe. Look me up!"

There was a long pause where the Doctor assumed the swarm was doing just that, and then suddenly the shadows in the room receded.

"You have one day," The swarm told him, and then Anita's suit collapsed.

River ran back into the room a moment later, and bent down next to Anita's corpse.

"Anita!" she cried, and the Doctor glanced over his shoulder at her.

"She's been dead a while now, I'm sorry. I thought I told you to go?" he asked, turning back to the terminal he was using.

"Lux can manage without me," she replied and he was so focussed on what he was doing, he didn't hear her getting up. "But you can't," she added, and he turned just in time to see her fist flying at his face.

* * *

_"_Auto destruct in two minutes_,"_ was the first thing he heard when he swam back to consciousness.

_"There you are, Doctor. You've been out for a little while,"_ Martha's voice sounded in his mind. "_What happened?_"

"_You've been asleep. Let me show you."_ He sent along a copy of his memories, rather than trying to explain the whole thing to her, and waited for her to catch up on what had happened while she was sleeping.

"_I see. Seems our daughter is just as stubborn as her father. Can you get free?"_ Martha asked, seeing through his eyes that he was handcuffed to a railing, and River was sitting not far from him, wiring herself into the mainframe.

"_No I can't. Can you get here?"_ the Doctor asked hopefully.

_"Oh, I wish I could. But the power drain – with the babies, I just don't know... oh God! What should I do – our boys, our daughter..." _Martha was practically wailing at the end, faced with such a dilemma.

"_Martha, you know, and I know, you can't risk it. Even though we've only just met her, you know River wouldn't want you to either – I guess, we can't stop her," _He said, fear and melancholy warring for dominance in his mind.

Martha's end went quiet as his wife tried to reconcile herself to what was about to happen.

"River, no, please – that's my job! I'd have chance, you don't!" the Doctor shouted, trying to change her mind.

"You wouldn't have a chance and neither do I! I'm timing it for the end of the countdown, there'll be a blip in the command flow, that way it should improve our chances of a clean download."

"River, _please_," he begged, but to no avail.

"Funny thing is, you've always known, you and mum; you've known this how I die. You knew I would be coming here, and... the last time I saw you both – the real you, the future you, I mean, you both turned up on my doorstep. Mum had a new hairdo and you had a new suit. You took me to Darilium, to see the singing towers. What a night that was! The towers sang, and you both cried. You wouldn't tell me why, but I suppose you knew it was time. My time – time to come to The Library..."

"River, you can let me do this!" he protested again. But their daughter really was as stubborn as her father, and her mother, come to think of it.

"If you die here, then it means I never met you. And please, don't take that away from me. _Please_, don't – please!" Tears were welling in her eyes, and he could hear them in her voice. "It's OK, it's OK, it's not over for the two of you – you'll see me again!"

"River, you're our daughter! You're family, please, let me do this for you!"

"Hush, now," River replied, connecting the wires to begin the download, and filling the room with blinding light.

When the light disappeared, River was gone.

* * *

**Donna**

Try as she might, she could not find Lee anywhere in The Library. Apparently, there hadn't even been anyone in The Library called Lee on the day the computer sealed the planet.

She'd found the Doctor, and told him what had happened to her while he'd still been out here, in The Library. He'd told her about River, his daughter, and her death. When he told her that Martha was still in the TARDIS, Donna couldn't help herself, she ran towards it, needing to see her friend.

Whether it was their connection or some other womanly instinct, Martha must have known that Donna needed her, because she opened the doors of the TARDIS and stepped out, just as Donna entered the room.

"Donna? What is it? What's happened?" Martha asked, and Donna discovered she couldn't speak, she was just too upset.

She burst into tears, and buried her faced in the smaller woman's neck, and held on for dear life.

* * *

**Martha **

Over Donna's shoulder, Martha saw the Doctor walking towards them, looking just as done in as Donna. Martha held out her free arm, and he gratefully joined the two women in their hug.

After several moments, the three of them pulled away from each other, each heaving a deep sigh, and wondering how they were going to move past this. Martha noticed River's diary and her sonic in the Doctor's hands and asked him about them.

"Are you going to bring them with us Doctor?" she said, pointing at the items in question.

"No, better not. Spoilers, and all. I was just going to leave them here – out of the reach of temptation," he told her and Martha frowned.

"I wonder why you gave her your sonic," she mused and he looked down at the screwdriver in his hand.

"That's a good point, why would I? Was it a present? Or – we – the other we that is – we've always known this was going to happen, we've had all that time to think about it, so why would we give her this sonic?" He looked at it closely and discovered a hinge where there shouldn't be one, and when he opened it, there it was.

A neural relay, with only three bars left.

"Ha! You see! We did it! We saved her!" The Doctor dashed off, silently telling her he was going to upload the data from the neural relay into the core computer.

River would have life, of sorts, and though Martha and the Doctor would not see their daughter again – this was not the end of her.

Martha sometimes wondered if they had been jinxed somehow. Because it seemed that while they were in the TARDIS, they were fine. But whenever they stepped out, trouble and strife seemed to converge on them.

She supposed that it was the truth of life with a Time Lord. The Doctor went where he was needed, and that was that. As much as she might wish for peace and quiet sometimes, she would never ask her husband to be someone he wasn't.

And, truth be told, she did not wish for a so-called normal life either.

Two point four children, a Volvo, and a semi, really weren't things she'd ever envisioned in her future. She had wanted to be a doctor, and here she was – doctoring the entire universe. It was heady stuff, at times, but she had her own Doctor to support her, as she did him – and they both had Donna to ground them.

It was rough sometimes, but on the whole, Martha decided – life was good.


	12. Part Twelve: Midnight and Shan Shen

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction story and not written for any financial gain of any kind. All rights to Doctor Who and any associated material belong to the BBC and any other affiliated entities. Thanks. Also, the story of Lady Silverhair comes from Neverwinter Nights 2, which is the property of Atari, Obsidian, Wizards of the Coast and any other involved parties.**

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**A/N: Happy New Year everyone. I'm back, after a holiday and a bout of illness. I'm having trouble with Stolen Earth/Journey's End, so not sure when the next chapter will be out. Please do give me suggestions if you have any, all feedback is welcome!**

**Big thanks to the very patient Persiflage for beta reading.**

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**Part Twelve: **Midnight and Shan Shen

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"It is a great thing to know the season for speech and the season for silence."

**Seneca**

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**Donna**

A waiter from the nearby bar was holding out a silver tray, on which sat a cordless phone. Said phone was ringing, and both Martha and Donna knew exactly who was on the other end.

Donna sighed gustily. "I told you blocking him out would do no good – you can't silence the Doctor!" she declared and Martha nodded in agreement.

She reached up a hand to pick up the blasted phone, and then promptly handed it to Donna. "We said no!" Donna reminded the Doctor.

"A sapphire waterfall – a waterfall, made of sapphires! It's an enormous jewel the size of a glacier, it reaches the cliffs of oblivion, and then shatters into sapphires at the edge..."

Martha could hear some of what the Doctor was saying, Donna could tell, but had apparently decided not to listen. "Would you tell my husband please, that we came here for some rest and relaxation, and I intend to see we get it! I am _not_ going to be stuffed into some tin can for hours on end, just for some stupid day trip!"

Donna relayed this to the Doctor, who eventually admitted defeat. She reckoned that he knew Martha wouldn't be persuaded, after all, carting round her ever expanding bump got harder every day. Donna knew if _she_ were the one who was seven months pregnant, _she_ wouldn't want to go on some space coach trip either.

They had come to a planet called Midnight, where a sort of spa called the Leisure Palace had been built recently. After everything which had happened at The Library, they had all agreed they wanted to take some time out.

When Martha had complained about her aching back, the Doctor had suggested a spa visit. So, here they were. Only, Donna knew – before they even got there – that he wouldn't be able to sit still for long, hence why this idea of his about going on a day trip hadn't surprised her in the least.

"Alright, alright. I'll be back for dinner. We'll try that anti-gravity restaurant, with bibs," the Doctor said, resigned, and hung up.

Donna in turn relayed all this back to Martha, who simply nodded and then laid back on the sun lounger. Deciding that the Doctor could hardly find trouble on his little outing, and therefore there was no reason for her to concern herself with it any longer, Donna followed suit and also laid down.

This was the life, she decided.

**

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**The Doctor**

The Doctor entered the Crusader vehicle and happily took his sea. He watched as the other passengers got on board and took their own seats. He also watched with a bemused smile, as the hostess handed him a stack of complimentary items which he was sure he didn't actually need.

He heard some people in the row behind him talking about the trip ahead, and smiled warmly when one of them introduced himself.

"Hobbes, Professor Winfold Hobbes," the man said.

"I'm the Doctor, hello!" he replied, shaking the Professor's hand.

Apparently, it was the Professor's fourteenth time on this particular trip. The Doctor was also introduced to the Professor's assistant, a pleasant young woman called Dee Dee Blasco.

When the hostess came forward to tell them it was time to go, he couldn't help feeling a bit excited. When she activated the entertainment system, he withheld a groan. It was a hellish cacophony of sound and light. No wonder most of the other passengers had insisted on the ear plugs!

He covertly disabled it though, with his sonic screwdriver. Not as covertly as he'd thought, mind you, since a blonde woman sitting in the row adjacent to his, noticed and smiled. He merely winked and turned to the other passengers. They were complaining that they now had nothing to do for the four hour drive ahead.

"You know what this means?" the Doctor said, getting up onto his seat and looking back at them. They all stared at him blankly. "We'll just have to talk to each other!" he told them.

**

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**_251 Kliks Later..._**

He'd heard all about the Kanes' hilarious encounter with an abstract swimming pool – that is, a pool which was only a concept and did not actually exist. He and Dee Dee had discussed her paper on the lost moon of Poosh. He'd eaten lunch with the blonde woman from earlier, one Sky Silvestry, and the two of them had wondered over what was actually _in _their lunches.

Currently, he and the rest of the passengers were listening to Professor Hobbes as he gave them a presentation on Midnight, complete with slides.

It was interrupted though, when, for no apparent reason, their Crusader coach shuddered to stop. When the hostess claimed that the driver needed to stabilise the engine feeds, the Doctor knew something was wrong. He showed her the psychic paper, claiming to be an engine expert and went into the cabin to speak to the driver and the mechanic.

They tried to fob him off to begin with, but he got them to admit that they had no idea why they'd suddenly stopped. Driver Joe told the Doctor that he'd sent a distress signal, and that help should be there in about an hour. Since they were stuck there waiting, the Doctor persuaded them to open the shield on the windscreen, and take a look outside.

At the beginning of the expedition, Driver Joe had told the passengers that they would be taking a detour, due to a fall of diamonds blocking the usual route. The Doctor asked him about it now, and was told that it was the first time they'd been down this particular route, the computer having worked it out automatically.

Worryingly, before they closed the shields, the mechanic said that he saw something moving – outside. Despite the fact that there was nothing known which could survive in Xtonic sunlight, the Doctor had seen enough of the universe to know that you could never assume _anything_. Life always found a way, and just because something didn't fit into the established rules of the universe, didn't mean that it didn't exist.

Even more chilling, was that the mechanic said he thought he saw it running towards them. Driver Joe dismissed the Doctor back to his seat at that point, and he went willingly, wondering over what the mechanic had said.

When he emerged back into the main cabin, the other passengers set on him, demanding to know what the driver had said.

Somehow or other, they managed to work themselves into a frenzy, believing that they might run out of air. He knew Martha didn't like it when he looked on humans as children, but at times like this, they really did remind him of shrieking toddlers.

"QUIET!" he yelled and as the passengers duly fell silent, he felt Martha's presence in his mind.

_"What's wrong?"_ she said, sounding worried.

"_Everything's fine. We've just broken down, is all."_ He directed Dee Dee to explain to the others why they wouldn't be running out of air any time soon, or even in the next decade. "_Apparently a rescue vehicle is on its way, don't worry darling,"_ he told his wife, and was relieved when he felt that Martha was reassured for the moment.

_"I'll go and make sure it's on its way though, alright?"_ she said, and he sent his silent agreement. There was no need, but he knew that she wanted to feel like she was doing something to help. And, truth be told, he would be happier once he got confirmation from her that the signal Driver Joe had sent had been received back at the Leisure Palace.

He turned his attention back to his fellow passengers, and could see they had been greatly reassured by Dee Dee's knowledge of the air supply system.

Unfortunately, their relief was short lived, because that was when the knocking on the walls of the shuttle started.

**

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**Martha**

The workers in the Leisure Palace had dismissed Martha as a hysterical woman to begin with. What they hadn't reckoned on, was the titanic force of Donna's ire when it was roused. And boy, was it roused right now!

"Look mate, she's pregnant, and the father is out there – on one of your coaches, and he says it's broken down! Don't you shake your head at me! Just because you don't understand how he told her doesn't make her a liar, it just makes you stupid! Now, turn around and go and find out if the bloody rescue truck has left, alright? I mean, it's not much to ask for, is it?" Donna practically screamed at the worker, who obviously then decided that discretion was the better part of valour, because when they got the message back that the rescue _was _on its way, it was a different person who gave it to them.

Martha reached out in her mind to her husband, and instantly felt his fear. Something else was wrong. She closed her eyes to focus better, and tried to see through his. Whatever was happening was scaring the bejesus out of him, and she did not like that, not one bit.

"_Rescue is definitely on its way darling, should be with you in about fifty five minutes,"_ she told him, hoping it would bring him even some small measure of comfort.

She felt so helpless, so far away from him. She didn't know if she would be able to transport through Xtonic sunlight, and knew she did not have the right to risk the lives of her children experimenting. This pregnancy was turning out to be much more of a hindrance than she'd initially bargained for. All the same, she wouldn't change things, even if she had the opportunity to.

She was so excited, waiting to meet their sons, that sometimes she did a happy dance when she thought no one was looking. There was less jumping in the dance these days, since she'd developed something of a waddle instead of a walk.

_"Thanks Martha. We should be fine here until it arrives," _the Doctor assured her silently.

"_You're a terrible liar, you know. In fact, why even try to lie to me in here, when you know I can sense if you're telling the truth or not?"_ Martha asked him, and she felt a brief flicker of mirth from him.

"_I don't know, force of habit – trying to convince myself. I'm really not sure. Something _is_ wrong. There's a woman in here, her name's Sky, and she's acting like she's possessed or something,"_ he explained, and then she saw a burst of images from his memory of the last five minutes.

It was like something out of a Stephen King novel, what with the banging on the walls moving around. When Mr Kane had banged on the door three times, and the banging from outside answered him with three bangs of its own, Martha felt a chill going down her spine.

"_That's... I don't know. Lady Silverhair never came across anything like it. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was a ghost, or even a wraith."_ Martha told the Doctor.

"_Me too. It's something new though..."_ He replied and she could feel his natural excitement at finding something completely new, something even his people had never discovered.

_"Just be careful love, those people – they don't know you. They won't understand what it means to you, to find something new. They'll probably misinterpret your interest. You know what humans are like when they're trapped. Cornered rats – they'll go for your jugular,"_ she warned and let their connection fall silent, as she felt him focussing outwards again.

She opened her eyes to find Donna looking at her in concern, so, taking a deep breath, she turned to her side and told her friend everything.

There was nothing she could do to help – trapped here just like he was trapped out there. Once again, the Doctor – her husband and the father of her children – was in danger, and Martha could only play the waiting game.

**

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**The Doctor**

Whatever was now living inside the body of Mrs Silvestry was learning, and learning _fast_. The more everyone talked, the more it learned, so he persuaded the others to move to the back of the cabin to wait for the rescue truck.

Dee Dee's voice broke the silence which had descended on the cabin. "We must not look at goblin men," she murmured and the others asked her what she meant.

"It's a poem, by Christina Rossetti," the Doctor explained.

Dee Dee was staring at Sky, almost transfixed. "We must not look at goblin men, we must not buy their fruits. Who knows upon what soil they fed, their hungry thirsty roots," she muttered.

"Actually, I don't think that's helping," the Doctor warned Dee Dee, who fell silent again.

The Professor was still stuck on the idea that there could not be anything 'inhabiting' Sky, since nothing could survive on the surface of Midnight.

The Doctor saluted and scoffed at him, for having such fixed ideas on what constitutes life in the universe, and reminded him that the universe might have its own ideas. He explained that he thought there was some sort of consciousness inside Sky, but that Sky might still be in there, and it was up to them to help her.

When the others shied away from helping, and told him to do it instead, he refused. "Maybe the next stage is _becoming_ us, and I don't want her becoming me – or things could get a whole lot worse."

"Oh, like you're so special!" Mrs Kane shot back at him.

"As it happens, yes I am. So, that's decided. We stay back, and we wait. When the rescue ship comes, we'll get her to hospital." They seemed to agree, for the moment, but he had Martha's warning in the back of his mind.

He probably shouldn't have spoken to Mrs Kane that way – she didn't know he was a Time Lord, and so she didn't know of the damage a Time Lord could do if he went 'bad'. They were probably all assuming he was human. He was hoping that the subject wouldn't come up again, but he knew with his luck, it probably would.

"We should throw her out!" The hostess practically hissed, out of the blue, and he spun around in shock. Horrifyingly, the others seemed to agree with her and began discussing how they might achieve it without risking themselves.

_"Cornered rats,"_ Martha murmured in his mind, and he knew she wasn't just being spiteful. She knew, just as he did, that it was just an instinctive reaction, a gut instinct or a primal urge buried in the human psyche which hadn't left, despite thousands upon thousands of years of evolution and development.

Also, in their defence, he thought some of this hysterical behaviour was somehow being brought about by the entity inside Sky. He suspected it was doing it deliberately, making them fight with each other – though he wasn't entirely sure why, at this stage.

"Now listen, all of you – for all we know that's a brand new life form over there. And if it's come inside to discover us, then what's it found? This little bunch of humans – what do you amount to? Murder? 'Cause this is where you decide. This is where you decide who you are – could you _actually_ murder her? Any of you? Really? Or are you better than that?" He looked from face to face, seeing the fear and the shame displayed there.

It only took one of them to break the silence – the hostess, and suddenly they were all saying that yes, they would do it. They could do it. The hostess did seem to be thinking rationally, a bit at least, because she asked him what would happen if they waited for the rescue truck, and Mrs Silvestry was taken back to the Leisure Palace.

He assured them he would be there to contain it, and that's when they started in on him.

"Well, you haven't done much so far!" Mrs Kane accused.

"You're a doctor of what, exactly?" Professor Hobbes asked him.

"Who were you talking to? Before you got on board, you were talking to someone," the hostess asked, and the Doctor heaved a great sigh.

"I was talking to my sister, Donna, and my wife, Martha. My wife is back there, in the Leisure Palace, she's seven months pregnant. My sister is there too. Martha didn't think this trip would do her back any good, it's been hurting lately, and – look I want to be safe, just as much as you do. I want to see my wife, and my sons when they're born – please, please, let's just wait, and..." His voice trailed off, and he covered his face with his hands.

He had no idea what to do, no clue as to how to resolve this situation. "Look, I know you're scared – I am too, look at me – I am. But we have all got to cool down, and think!" he said, and he could see their expressions softening. Perhaps he seemed more normal to them when he mentioned having a family. If so, he dreaded to think what would have happened if he had come here on his own.

"Perhaps you could tell us your name?" the Professor suggested.

"What does it matter?" the Doctor replied.

"Then tell us," the Professor retorted.

"_Sweetie, it won't do any harm. Just put one together. We'll have to write something on the wedding certificate when we marry on Earth, after all. Tell them you're a Time Lord too, it really won't hurt anything,_" Martha urged, and the Doctor capitulated. He decided to use his nickname from his Academy days.

"My name is Doctor Theta-Sigma Jones. My wife's name is Doctor Martha Jones, she's expecting twin boys, we haven't chosen names yet, and even if we had, I couldn't tell you. It's a custom amongst my people. A child's name is only ever known to its parents – we take on another as adults. And no, I'm not human, despite looking like one. I'm a Time Lord, from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. Any other questions while we're at it?"

They seemed taken aback, but definitely less suspicious of him. He took that as a positive sign.

Unfortunately, it didn't help the situation with Sky and whatever had taken up residence in her body. The other passengers were still deathly afraid, and still wanted to throw her out into the Xtonic sunlight. He still refused to let them, and they were stuck in a deadlock for some time.

It ended up with Mr Kane knocking him out, just like River had done in the core of The Library. When he came to, he found that the hostess had jumped out of the door, dragging Mrs Silvestry with her.

Whatever it was, it was gone, and he was no closer to the truth of what had happened on Midnight. He suspected he would never know, and wasn't exactly sure how he felt about that.

**

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**Donna**

When the coach which had gone to rescue the expedition the Doctor had been on returned, Donna was shocked by the looks on the faces of the people who had been with him. It seemed as though this was yet another trip which was supposed to be relaxing, but had turned into a nightmare.

As the Doctor told her and Martha his story however, Donna realised it could have been an awful lot worse.

If he hadn't been able to allay their fears of him and his, well, weirdness, by explaining about his wife and family – Donna was touched when he said he'd told them she was his sister – then the whole experience could have been a lot uglier. It might even have ended with the other passengers trying to throw him out into the Xtonic sunlight, as well as this poor Sky woman.

"What do you think it was?" Donna asked him, as the three of them sat in silence round one of the tables in the bar area. The Doctor was sat on a sofa of sorts, with Martha sitting between his legs. He had his hands planted firmly on her swollen belly – he hadn't actually moved them once in the good half an hour they had been sitting there.

"No idea," he told her, looking lost and baffled.

"D'you think it's still out there?" Donna asked worriedly. He didn't need to actually say anything, his face said it all. "Well, you'd better tell 'em, this lot," she said, nodding towards some of the staff.

"Yeah, they can build a Leisure Palace somewhere else. Let this planet keep on turning, round an Xtonic star, in silence," he agreed, sighing. He leaned forward, and rested his forehead on Martha's shoulder, hiding his face for a moment.

After several minutes, they suited words to action, and while Donna and Martha went to change, he went to speak to the management.

As the three of them were heading towards the TARDIS, they saw the Kanes across the lobby. The Doctor gave them a brief wave, which they returned half-heatedly. The Doctor didn't seem to care, as he opened the doors of the TARDIS with a snap of his fingers, and the three of them disappeared inside.

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**Martha**

As with Pompeii and so many of their other adventures, they decided to spend some time just hanging in the Vortex. Martha asked the Doctor if it was something he'd done a lot in the past – took some 'me' time after a traumatic experience.

He told her that he did, but that it didn't usually do any good. He was often on his own, and even when he had a companion on board, he didn't allow himself to get close enough for them to help him in any beneficial way. Having companions around helped, but not enough.

Things were different now, he told her. He trusted her and Donna both, and was closer to them than he had been to anyone, in a long time.

He had nightmares, of course. That was inevitable, Martha thought, given what he had gone through in that coach. The knocking was the worst bit – she and Donna tried very hard not to startle him with sudden bangs or loud noises, until he was feeling better.

Some nights, the three of the slept side by side in the Doctor and Martha's bed, the same way they had done previously. The Doctor was the one in the middle however, since Martha needed to be able to get out of bed regularly to use the loo.

Just as before, they were there for each other, and just as before, they got through it.

When they were ready to face the universe again, the Doctor set course for Shan Shen, a planet which was somewhat oriental, even if it did lie millions of light years away from Earth. Martha was looking forward to hitting the markets there, she never got bored of buying things for her baby boys.

They had great fun strolling through the market stalls, seeing what was on offer. The Doctor bought the three of them drinks which were just _heavenly_, and Martha busied herself looking at baby clothes, while the Doctor haggled with a stall holder over some fruit or vegetable.

Martha looked up, intending to ask Donna what she thought of a pair of dungarees, and noticed that Donna wasn't there anymore. She turned to the Doctor, to ask him if he knew where Donna had gone, when a scream tore through the air.

"That's Donna!" the Doctor shouted and raced off in the direction the scream had come from. Martha followed behind, albeit a little slower, but used a handy gust of air to aid her passage.

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**The Doctor**

He found Donna in a fortune teller's tent. She looked at him, her face white and something like shock in her eyes. She looked as if she'd just seen a ghost.

"Everything alright?" he asked carefully, stepping to the side when he felt Martha's hand on his back.

Donna rushed forward and embraced them both firmly. "What was that for?" he asked, surprised.

"I don't know!" Donna replied cheerfully, seeming relieved at the same time.

She pointed out the beetle like creature which had fallen, apparently from Donna's own back, to the ground. The Doctor picked it up and sat down on the fortune teller's seat to examine it. As he did so, Donna told them about the woman who had accosted her, and what she had done.

"I can't remember," Donna said finally. "It's slipping away, you know like when you try and think of a dream, and it just sort of, goes."

"Just got lucky, this thing," the Doctor said, prodding the 'thing'. "It's one of The Trickster's Brigade. It changes a life, in tiny little ways. Most times, the universe just compensates around it, but you – great big parallel world!"

"But aren't all parallel worlds sealed off?" Martha cut in, a worried frown on her face.

"They are, but Donna had one created around her, it's different," he explained. "Funny thing is, it seems to be happening a lot to Donna."

"How d'you mean?" Donna asked.

"Well, The Library, and then this,"

"I guess it just goes with the job, right?" Donna said, smiling ruefully.

The Doctor couldn't return her smile though. "Sometimes I think there's way too much coincidence surrounding you, Donna. I met you once, then Martha and me met your grandfather, then we met you again... in the whole wide universe, we met you for a second time. I feel like something is binding us together," he said softly, and Martha chuckled quietly.

"Aside from the obvious, you mean?" she asked and he laughed too.

"Well, yeah," he said, running a hand through his hair.

"Don't be so daft – I'm nothing special," Donna told them and the Doctor noticed Martha frown out of the corner of his eyes. He knew Martha hated it when Donna did herself down, he hated it too. But sometimes they just couldn't get it through to her, just how special she really was.

"Yes, you are, you're brilliant," he told her, and Donna smiled.

Donna looked away for a moment, and when she looked back she was frowning, like she'd just had a strange thought. "She said that – that woman – oh, I can't remember!"

"She never existed now," the Doctor reminded Donna, but she apparently didn't want to let it go.

"No, but she said... she said the stars – the stars are going out," Donna told them.

"But that world's gone," the Doctor reiterated to her.

"No, she said it was all worlds – every world. She said the darkness is coming, even here."

Martha edged closer to the Doctor, and he took her hands in his. He was starting to get worried. "Who was she?" he asked Donna.

"I don't know," she admitted.

"What did she look like?" the Doctor pressed. He and Martha were both leaning forward in their seats now.

"She was... blonde," Donna said with a shrug. The Doctor exchanged a very worried look with his wife.

"What was her name?" he pushed.

But Donna just couldn't remember. They were silent for a moment, and he could tell that she was straining, trying to recall something – anything.

"She... she told me to warn you. She said, two words..."

"What two words, what were they?" he asked, wide eyed. He had Martha's hands in a death grip, but she wasn't complaining.

"Bad Wolf," Donna said. He rushed outside, his wife and his best friend hot on his heels. Everywhere he looked, the words were printed.

BAD WOLF

He opened the doors of the TARDIS and as the three of them stood there, that's when they heard it: the Cloister Bell.

"Doctor, what is it? What's Bad Wolf?" Donna demanded from behind him.

"It's the end of the universe!"


	13. Part Thirteen: The Stolen Earth

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction story and not written for any financial gain of any kind. All rights to Doctor Who and any associated material belong to the BBC and any other affiliated entities. Thanks. Also, the story of Lady Silverhair comes from Neverwinter Nights 2, which is the property of Atari, Obsidian, Wizards of the Coast and any other involved parties.**

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**A/N: OK, if you've read this far you know that this is a blatant Super!Martha fic, and is a Martha/10th Doctor romance. Please hit the back button if either of these things offends you. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review, I really appreciate it. Please feel free to put in suggestions if you have them.**

**Thanks to Persiflage for being such a patient beta-reader.**

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**Part Thirteen: **The Stolen Earth

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"While the fates permit, live happily; life speeds on with hurried step, and with winged days the wheel of the headlong year is turned."

**Seneca**

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**Martha**

The Doctor flew the TARDIS straight to 21st century Earth, wanting to see what had happened. When he and Donna came back from checking outside however, they reported that everything appeared to be fine. For her part, Martha hadn't wanted to leave the TARDIS.

She was really feeling her feet today, and something, some instinct or other was telling her to conserve her energy. Given that her instincts had saved her life several times over in the last year or so, she'd decided to listen, and so had sat on the flight chair to wait for her husband and Donna.

"So, I just met Rose Tyler?" Donna was saying as they came back into the TARDIS.

Martha was surprised that she felt no twinge of jealously when Rose was mentioned. Despite her upload and everything which came with it, despite her confidence and trust in the Doctor and the strength of her relationship, she had thought that the Martha who had suffered through living with the memory of Rose, would surface at a time like this, and start doubting.

But she didn't – she actually felt a bit sorry for Rose. After all, as far as Rose knew, nothing between her and the Doctor had changed. It sounded from Donna's account of their meeting as if Rose had been trying to find the Doctor – perhaps hoping to pick up where they'd left off.

Good God! How terrible would it be for her, to come here and find out that he had married someone else? How would she feel, if she were in Rose's shoes? Awful – _devastated_, in fact.

But then, if she did come here, and they _did _meet, would Martha's sympathy for her situation make it any easier to bear? Unlikely, Martha thought. Rose would probably prefer it if she gloated, at least then she could give in to anger.

The Doctor said that the walls of the universe were collapsing – that was why Rose was able to cross into the parallel world created around Donna on Shan Shen. This made it seem likely to Martha that Rose was on her way here, even as they spoke.

"Thing is Doctor, no matter what's happening, and I'm sure it's bad, I get that," Donna was saying as she followed him round the console – he was apparently trying to find out just what the Hell was going on.

"But, Rose is coming back – isn't that good?" Donna asked, and the Doctor looked up and straight into Martha's eyes. Donna apparently noticed the direction of his gaze because she turned to look at Martha too.

"I didn't mean – what I meant was, at least, you'll be able to see if she's OK. And maybe, give her some closure, you know?" Donna said, glancing anxiously between the two of them.

_"Our Donna is far wiser than she knows," _Martha observed silently to the Doctor.

_"She is, yeah. Martha, you know I –"_

_"Of course I know, I feel it every day, don't I? But Donna is right. I think you need to see her, to settle things between you."_

"You're doing that silent talking thing again, ain't ya?" Donna interrupted and they shot sheepish smiles at her.

"Sorry, but sometimes, it's easier – you know, when there's a chance of misunderstanding something," Martha explained to Donna.

"I know, alright – I'll let you off – just this once!" she offered graciously.

As they were all laughing at each other, something violently shook the TARDIS, and almost knocked Martha off her seat. She managed to hold on, but only just. Good thing too, because she really didn't need a fall right now, on top of everything else.

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**Donna**

"What the hell was that?" Donna demanded and the Doctor told her that he didn't know. He said it came from outside, and rushed over to the doors to have a look.

When he opened the doors, there was nothing there. Where she had seen only a few minutes ago, a quiet suburban street, complete with a milkman on his rounds, there was now nothing but empty space. Literally, black, empty outer space!

"We're in space. How did that happen? What did you do?" Donna asked, but the Doctor had already gone back to the console and was looking at his scanner.

"_We_ haven't moved!" Martha said, worry making her voice a bit shrill.

"We're fixed," the Doctor agreed with his wife. "The TARDIS is still in the same place, but the Earth – it's gone. The entire planet – it's gone."

"But, if the Earth's been moved, they've lost the sun – what about my mum, and granddad – what about Martha's family? They're dead?" Donna demanded, feeling hysteria about to set in.

She noticed Martha hauling herself out of her seat to come over and comfort her, but she could see in the other woman's eyes that she was worried for her family too.

The Doctor had no reassurance to give, however, and Donna found that even more frightening than facing down the scariest aliens in the universe. The Doctor always knew what to do, she thought and now that he didn't, what did that mean for them? For everyone on Earth?

For the universe?

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**The Doctor**

"We've got to get help," he told the two women, not wanting to admit he was lost, but having to anyway. "Ladies, we're going to the Shadow Proclamation. Hold tight," he said, pulling the handbrake with one hand, while simultaneously pulling the two of them closer with the other.

He explained, when asked by Donna, that the Shadow Proclamation was a posh name for outer space police. He sent a quick burst of images to Martha down their mental connection, so that she would realise it was the Judoon whom she'd met before.

When they emerged from the TARDIS he explained to the Judoon that they were there to investigate what had happened to the Earth. They were shown into a conference room where the Shadow Architect was waiting to speak with them.

"Time Lords are the stuff of legend – they belong in the myths and whispers of the higher species, you cannot possibly exist!" She clearly didn't believe him, but he didn't much care.

"Yeah, more to the point, I've got a missing planet." He really wasn't in the mood to debate his existence just then.

"Then you're not as wise the stories would say, the picture is far bigger than you imagine – the whole universe is in outrage Doctor, _twenty four_ worlds have been taken from the sky!" the Shadow Architect said. He kept his eyes on her as he moved forward to pull out a chair for Martha, and asked to see which planets had been taken.

His wife gratefully sat down, and everyone turned their eyes to the projection displaying the twenty four missing planets.

Donna spoke up at that point, asking about Pyrovillia and Adipose Three – two worlds they knew of which had also disappeared, and that was when the Doctor made the connection.

"The planets are being taken out of time as well as space!" he declared. He made the display 3-d, and added Pyrovillia, Adipose Three and then Dee Dee Blasco's lost moon of Poosh, and then something odd happened. The planets spontaneously rearranged themselves. It seemed as if the arrangement they were now in on the projection was the optimum pattern. The worlds fitted together, like pieces of an engine, but he had no idea what it was for.

It was only when, sometime later, that Donna reminded him of the bees disappearing, he worked out that the bees sensed something was coming, and they were returning to Melissa Majoria. They could use the Tandoka Trail to follow the path of the bees, and find the Earth.

The Shadow Proclamation tried to commandeer the TARDIS to wage war against whatever had stolen the twenty seven planets, but they managed to give them the slip.

He set the TARDIS to follow the trail, and then turned to Martha. She had been awfully quiet throughout the whole time they had been at the Shadow Proclamation, and he was worried something was wrong.

"Martha, are you alright?" he asked, bending down in front of her to look into her eyes. Problem was, he couldn't see much – she'd come in, sat down and closed her eyes. Not to worry though, because she opened them straight away and looked at him.

"I'm fine, I'm just, well, trying to save my energy. You didn't need my help to work things out – I've not been on Earth for a long time, so I couldn't have told you what Donna did. Something is coming though, something bad – something worse than either of us has ever seen, and well, I need to be ready," she told him firmly, and he was instantly concerned.

"But Martha, the babies, you can't –"

"Yes, I can. And I'm going to have to. I don't know what it is that I'm going to have to do, but there _is _something, I know that much. That's why I've been well, in sleep mode, as it were. To minimise the risk – Doctor, we've been over this. I promised I wouldn't knowingly walk into danger, and I haven't broken that promise, have I?" she asked earnestly and he had to admit the truth.

"No, you haven't. I'm sorry I – Gods, I don't even know what I mean at the moment. Our boys have still got a while to go before they're ready to join us, and I can't imagine what it must be like for you, having to step back, having to stop yourself from helping because of them. But I appreciate that you haven't broken your promise, and, well, if there's something you need to do, I won't stop you. Whatever it is," he paused for a moment, and then pulled her face closer to his so he could kiss her.

He knew Donna was still in the room, but equally he knew she wouldn't mind. It wasn't as if they were planning to 'make out', as he'd heard some people call it, right there in the control room. The kiss was brief, but heartfelt, and he took a moment just to hold her close.

Unfortunately, their quiet moment was broken when the TARDIS just stopped flying. It appeared that the Tandoka Trail had disappeared. The end of the line was in the Medusa Cascade.

The Doctor felt lost.

Donna was shouting at him, and Martha was crying in his mind, but he had nothing.

He had no idea what to do.

He just stood, and stared.

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**Martha**

The silence in the TARDIS was deafening.

When Martha heard her mobile ring, she almost wept for joy. "Doctor, it's my phone!" she exclaimed, fishing it from her pocket and opening it,

"Mum?" she said desperately into the phone, but there was no one there. She handed it to the Doctor who said that there was a signal – a signal they could follow.

"Locking on!" he shouted, and Martha grabbed hold of the railings behind her as she was thrown about. It was her most turbulent journey yet in the TARDIS. The Doctor explained that the twenty seven planets were out of sync with the rest of the universe, by one second. As they got closer, the Doctor pulled her towards him, almost as if he was trying to protect her with his body.

Donna held on to them as well as they were pulled through time by the phone call. Finally, the TARDIS calmed, and the twenty seven planets appeared on the scanner.

"Why couldn't we see them?" Donna asked, and the Doctor explained that because they were out of sync, the planets had been hidden in a tiny pocket of space.

"Oho, looks like, hold on," he was fiddling with the controls again, as another signal came through the scanner. Martha watched as he reached around her, his arms long enough that she didn't need to move. She did try though, thinking it would be better if she got out of his way, but he told her to stay where she was.

"It looks like, some sort of subwave network," he said, and suddenly three sets of faces appeared on the screen. There was Captain Jack, the woman Martha recognised from the Doctor's memories as Sarah Jane Smith, and Martha's mum. Apparently her mum was using her old laptop.

"Where the hell have you been?" Jack shouted straight away, "Doctor, it's the Daleks!" he added, and Martha glanced over her shoulder at her husband, not able to hold in her mirth at his fond smile. He looked as pleased as punch!

"Sarah Jane! Who's that boy? That must be Torchwood. Mrs Jones – see, here's your daughter, safe and sound," Martha was surprised that her mum actually smiled at the Doctor when he said this.

"Hi mum!" she said, not wanting to interrupt but not wanting to ignore her mother entirely.

"Oh, they're brilliant! Look at you all, you clever people!" the Doctor was saying.

"Who's he?" Donna asked, pointing at Jack. Martha laughed.

"Captain Jack," she answered and the Doctor gave her a squeeze, out of sight.

"Don't," he told Donna, "Just don't."

"It's like an outer space Facebook!" Donna said.

"Everyone except Rose," Martha noted, surprising herself and her husband it seemed. She could feel his shock in her mind, but decided not to address it, for now.

When Davros hijacked the subwave network to taunt the Doctor, Martha felt a rage building in her unlike anything she'd felt before.

Here was the person responsible for the destruction of her husband's home. Because of this person, her sons would never know the other half of their family. Because of this person, the lives of her own family, and Donna's and everyone in the universe were in jeopardy. And he had the gall to call the Doctor arrogant!

She was glad when the Doctor cut him off and set the TARDIS to land on Earth. When they got there, it was like a ghost town. As she stepped outside the ship which was her home, Martha was hit by the stench of death in the air. Because she knew her mobility was severely impaired thanks to her baby belly, and because she had to limit the use of her power, she stood close to the TARDIS.

When the Doctor asked Donna to repeat what Rose had told her, it was Martha who told him to ask Rose himself. Since she was connected to his mind, and because he was not actively trying to block her – more the reverse in fact, he _wanted_ her to feel what he was feeling, she knew the Doctor only felt the delight of seeing an old and cherished friend, safe and sound. His former feelings for Rose had ebbed away, and though Martha could tell he still loved Rose, he was no longer _in _love with her.

Martha smiled as the two of them ran towards each other. She was happy for both of them that they had this chance to see each other, properly. But when the sound of a Dalek weapon rent the air, and she saw her husband hit, Martha felt as if her whole world was coming crashing down.

"_Don't worry, my Martha, he can regenerate,"_ the TARDIS reminded her, and Martha suddenly felt much better. How stupid of her, to forget that he could regenerate, that he would be just fine.

She barely noticed Jack appearing from thin air and shooting down the Dalek which shot the Doctor, she was so focussed on her husband. She felt their mental connection growing more and more distant, and guessed it was so that she wouldn't be affected by his regeneration. It hadn't started yet, but she knew it would be soon.

"Get him into the TARDIS!" Jack was shouting, and she stepped to the side, opening the door for Jack and the two women. She noticed Jack's eyes dart down to her baby bump, and saw them widen.

_Later_, she mouthed at him, and he nodded. He knew now wasn't the time for them to catch up on each other's news.

She followed them into the TARDIS, and carefully manoeuvred herself onto her knees next to the Doctor. Jack had Donna and Rose in his arms, trying to comfort the two of them. She had noticed Rose looking between Martha and the Doctor suspiciously, but as with Jack, she couldn't take the time to explain, not now, not when her husband needed her.

"Hey you," she said softly, and his eyes opened. They were full of pain.

"Martha," he breathed.

"Don't try to speak," she said, softly, leaning in to whisper her words to him. "Just remember I love you, and I will love you no matter what face you wear. You might even get to be ginger, this time," she said, and saw him smile.

"I've grown accus – I like this face," he said. Clearly the word 'accustomed' was a bit much for him at the moment. Her poor Doctor.

"You'd better stand back," he warned, and suddenly she felt Jack behind her, lifting her to her feet and pushing her towards the others.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?!?" Donna demanded, and Martha heard Rose answer her.

"When he's dying, his body, it repairs itself, it changes," Rose said to Donna, and then turned to the Doctor. "But you can't!"

"I'm sorry, it's too late," the Doctor said, and Martha wondered why he was apologising. So what if he did regenerate? He would still be the Doctor, just like the nine forms he'd had before this one. Jack had been friends with this one and the one before, and Sarah Jane had known three of them. Why was it such a big deal? Maybe, for Rose, part of the attraction of the Doctor was his looks.

Martha remembered when he told her that this was the first time in nine hundred years he'd been overtly handsome, how he'd said it was a bit of a shock, at first, when women across the universe started flirting with him.

She could understand how hard it could be, for some, if the one you love kept changing their face. Would you wonder, deep inside, if their feelings changed along with their form? For sure, the Doctor said his personality did change, body to body. Martha herself pondered on whether this was one of the reasons why Gallifreyans bonded, instead of plain old marriage. Yes, the main reason for bonding was for healthy children, but this had to be a part of it too – to connect the partners in such a way that regeneration on either side wouldn't pose a threat to the relationship.

As the energy poured from the Doctor, she watched, one hand on her stomach, and waited. She was as surprised as the rest of them when he turned and directed the energy into his spare hand. When the artron energy was gone, the same Doctor was standing there.

"_You vain old man! You just wanted to stay handsome!"_ she accused in his mind, glad that their link was back to normal.

"_And who could blame me, really?"_ he shot back and Martha smiled.

"Now then," he said out loud, "where were we?" Martha felt like laughing. Her Doctor was back on form!

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**The Doctor**

Martha was right, he was just a bit vain. But he did like this face, and saw no reason to change it when he wasn't ready to. He had been infinitely grateful when Martha told him that she didn't mind if he changed, he could tell she meant it too. But, he didn't have to, so he didn't.

He could see Rose was relieved he had kept the same form too, and was worried about the confrontation he could already feel brewing between him, Martha and Rose – possibly Jack too – though Jack already knew that he and Martha were an item, since Martha herself had told him on one of their 'catch up' phone calls. So, maybe he wouldn't be too mad when he found out just how far things had gone. Unlike Francine, who would probably be incensed.

Likely Jack had a good idea already – Martha's baby bump was particularly noticeable and a man like Jack would have noticed it on first glance.

He went to check on his hand first, already knowing that Martha was alright from their telepathic link. The boys were fine too, he could tell, though how they had slept through the last few hours was beyond him. They were still asleep now, dreaming of nebulous things.

"You see, I used the regeneration energy to heal myself," he explained, "but once that was done, I didn't need to change. I didn't want to – why would I? Look at me." He avoided his wife's eyes for the moment, knowing she would be mocking him, and looked at the others instead. "So, to stop the regeneration going all the way, I siphoned off the rest into a handy bio-matching receptacle. Namely, my hand. My hand, there. My handy spare. Remember, Christmas Day? Sycorax? Lost my hand in sword fight – that's my hand there," he directed the last part at Rose, who still seemed to be trying to come to terms with things.

She asked him if he was still 'him' and for a moment he felt slightly betrayed. Why could she not have loved him for who he really was? Time Lords and regenerations went hand in hand, he could never give her what it seemed she wanted from him.

He didn't want to compare Martha and Rose, but he found he couldn't help it. Martha's love, it seemed, was truly unconditional. Rose's was, well, not so unconditional. To be fair to her, she was young, _very _young – barely an adult when they'd met. He had dazzled her, and stolen her heart, but it was a sudden, impulsive love, it would not stand the test of time, he could see that now.

Even so, he hated that she had to come all the way here, just find out he was with someone else. He wished there was some way to make it easier for her, but knew there wasn't. He could only be honest, tell her how things were. He owed her that much.

With their usual poor timing, the Daleks interrupted his confession before he'd even opened his mouth to give it. They had caught the TARDIS in some kind of Chronon Loop, which cut the power completely. They were jerked off their feet as they felt the ship rise into the air. Jack reckoned they were being taken to the massive ship he said was located in the centre of the group of planets. The Daleks were calling it the Crucible.

"You said these planets were like an engine, but what for?" Donna asked and he thought on it for a minute.

"Rose, you've been in a parallel world, that world's running ahead of this universe, you've seen the future – what was it?"

"It's just... the darkness, the stars were going out, one by one, we looked up at the sky and they were just dying. Basically, we've been building this travel machine, this Dimension Cannon, so I could – well, so I could come back." She paused, glancing at the Doctor, clearly expecting some kind of reaction. When she didn't get one, she went on. "Well, suddenly it started to work and the dimensions started to collapse, not just in our world, but in all of them – even the void was dead!"

The Doctor had felt a little bit of his hearts break when Rose mentioned trying to come back. She had seemed so full of hope as she spoke to him.

Under the pain though, there was another feeling – anger. Anger that she hadn't listened to him when he told her not to try and come back. Would Dalek Caan have been able to breach the Time Lock, and retrieve Davros if Rose hadn't already weakened the walls of the universe with her Dimension Cannon?

_"Don't blame her, Doctor. She just wanted to get back to you. Yes, she shouldn't have, but did you really expect her to be able to move on, just like that? Honestly? I know I wouldn't have, in her place,"_ Martha told him, and he admired her for trying to see it from Rose's point of view. It didn't stop him from being angry though.

"Rose, there's something you should know. There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just come out with it. I want to make things absolutely clear. Rose, this is Martha – she's my wife,"

OK, well, that wasn't letting her down easily.

And now he could hear Martha in his head berating him for being so callous. Rose was in tears, Jack was shocked, though he wasn't sure what at, specifically, and Donna looked like she wanted to smack him.

"Oh God, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it like that. Listen, Rose, when I lost you, I thought my life was over. But it wasn't, I had to carry on, I was still needed. I met Martha, and I started to feel again. The bit of me I thought had died when you were taken away, well, it started to live again, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but we fell in love, we married, and we're expecting twins." He wasn't sure if he'd made it better or worse, but he _had _told the truth.

"How could you? You bastard! How could you! You just left me, for this, this!" Rose screamed at him, and his first instinct was to shout back at her, but he knew it wouldn't help. Instead, he held her. He let her beat on him with her fists, let her cry, but he didn't speak.

The storm of Rose's weeping passed fairly quickly, and as the TARDIS entered the Crucible, Rose was perched on the flight seat, looking fairly out of it.

"I don't know what I feel, I'm just, numb," she murmured when Jack asked her how she was.

"_You could have handled that better,"_ Martha remonstrated with him silently.

_"How? She needed the truth. No soft little lies were going to make it any easier," _he defended himself, but Martha was having none of it.

_"Admit it, part of you wanted to punish her. With a short, sharp, shock, so that she would scrap that Dimension Cannon of hers."_ Martha knew him too well.

_"So what if I did – she should NEVER have made the damn thing! She KNEW what the dangers were, but she DIDN'T listen!" _he raged to his wife in the silence of their joined minds. And Martha let him.

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**Martha**

She knew why he was so furious.

She knew he _hated_ it when one of his companions didn't do as they were told – especially when it came to stuff like this – where time and space were involved. To be sure, Rose had made a mistake, but Martha wasn't sure she would ever get the Doctor to admit some culpability in the matter.

Well, for better or worse, the truth was out there now – and at least Rose wouldn't be labouring under a misapprehension any longer. That was, if she had accepted it.

Martha had noticed the Doctor hadn't mentioned the fact that they were bonded, and what that really meant. She could only hope Rose wasn't hatching some scheme to try and break them up. She felt bad for suspecting her of it, but she had begun to understand the truth of Rose's feelings for the Doctor, and they bordered on obsession. Obsession sometimes led to madness – and hadn't it been madness to try and cross into parallel worlds, looking for the Doctor, when he'd already told her what she would be putting at risk if she tried?

They felt the TARDIS landing on a hard surface, and guessed that they had arrived.

"The Dalek Crucible," the Doctor muttered from his place beside Martha. "All aboard,"

The Daleks called for them to come out, or die. "We'll have to go out – if we don't they'll just get in anyway," the Doctor said, and Martha exchanged a worried glance with him.

"I'm not leaving you," she said, before he could even think of trying to get her to stay here. "They've taken all the defences down – I'll be no safer in here," she went on.

"I know," he admitted, squeezing her hand. _"I love you,"_ he added silently, and Martha was glad he seemed to realise that Rose really didn't need to hear him say that to her just now.

"_I love you too,"_ she told him, and he turned to face the others. He reiterated that there was no point staying in the TARDIS, and led the way to the doors. As he opened the door and stepped out, Martha glanced over her shoulder at Donna. Her friend was standing stock still, staring into space, like she was in some kind of trance.

"Come on Donna, we have to follow the Doctor," Martha reminded her, looking back to see the others were all outside.

"Donna, Martha! Come on, you're no safer in there!" Martha heard the Doctor call. Donna seemed to shake off her distraction, and walked with Martha down the ramp to the doors. When they got there however, the doors swung closed and wouldn't open.

"Doctor! What have you done? If this is your idea of –" Martha began, but he cut her off.

"It wasn't me, I didn't do anything! Martha! Donna! Open the door!" the Doctor demanded.

"We're _trying _to open the door, you idiot!" Donna shot back at him. They could hear him demanding for the Daleks to let the two women out, but the Daleks were claiming they hadn't done this. They said it was Time Lord treachery.

The two women couldn't hear any more, as they were thrown off their feet when the TARDIS jerked violently under them. Whatever was happening, Martha didn't think it was anything good.

**

* * *

**

**The Doctor**

"What are you doing? Bring it back!" he demanded of the Supreme Dalek, thinking, but not saying out loud, _my wife and my sister are in there!_

When they told him that the Crucible had a heart of Z-Neutrino Energy, he thought his hearts would break, and this time, for the last time. He had been _so close_! So close – to having things he never thought he would again – love, family – a _future_, and they were all about to be snatched away, by the very beings who'd cost him his home last time. And here he was, powerless to stop it.

He begged – he asked them to put him in their place, but they would not budge. He might even say the Daleks were enjoying seeing him brought so low.

As the countdown to the total destruction of the TARDIS reached ten rels, he called out in his mind to Martha – not saying anything, just wanting to feel close to her and their children.

When the countdown reached zero, he was so overwhelmed that he didn't at first realise that he could still feel Martha in his mind. It took him a moment to take that on board, to understand what it meant, but when he did, it was all he could do not to let a silly grin spread across his face.

"_We're all fine, me, Donna, the boys and the TARDIS. We're coming for you, my dearest one,_" she assured him silently, and he suddenly started to breathe again.

**

* * *

**

**Donna**

She had kept hearing it – that heartbeat. She'd heard it when they were at the Shadow Proclamation, she'd heard it several times now in the TARDIS.

When she touched the hand, she had no idea what was going to happen. She had felt like she was in a trance. But when an identical Doctor grew out of the spare hand of the old one, Donna felt there was nothing he could do that would out-alien this!

The New Doctor got them out of the Z-Neutrino core, and went off to find some clothes. While he was gone, Donna sat on the flight chair to catch her breath. She felt eyes on her though, and when she turned to look she saw Martha was staring at her.

"Martha?" she questioned warily. Martha's eyes were sparkling, literally. "Is something wrong?" she pressed, worried by the way her friend was looking at her, it was as if she could see right through her, or deep down into her soul. Maybe she was doing both.

"It's not complete," Martha murmured, taking a decisive step towards Donna, her hands reaching towards her head. Then, suddenly, Martha's eyes cleared and she took a step back.

"I refuse to make this decision for you. Donna, listen, what just happened, it's called a metacrisis, it was a two-way thing. You don't know it yet, because it's lying dormant in your mind, but when the second Doctor grew out of you, it left you with a Time Lord mind. Thing is, your brain's not wired right to cope with it – it could kill you." Martha had taken her friend's hands and was holding them tightly, Donna felt as if they were her only anchors right now.

"Reverse it! Make it stop, please!" Donna cried, a knee jerk reaction to what Martha was telling her.

"I could, if you want me to. But it would mean forgetting everything that's happened, forgetting me, the Doctor – all of it. It doesn't have to happen that way, I could rewire your physiology, like what was done to me, make it so you could cope with what you've been given. It's up to you. I hope you know which one I would prefer, I couldn't bear never seeing you again, but I won't pressure you."

Donna didn't even need to stop and think about it. She couldn't, she _would not_ go back to the life she had, the person she was, before. Never. Not when there was another way. She looked at Martha.

"Do it."


	14. Part Fourteen: Journey's End

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction story and not written for any financial gain of any kind. All rights to Doctor Who and any associated material belong to the BBC and any other affiliated entities. Thanks. Also, the story of Lady Silverhair comes from Neverwinter Nights 2, which is the property of Atari, Obsidian, Wizards of the Coast and any other involved parties.

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**A/N: I really don't think I need to reiterate previous warnings, so I won't. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time and trouble to review, I do appreciate it. I'm truly sorry it's been so long, but things have been bad lately, my Mum had a stroke and, well, I haven't really felt like doing much of anything except look after her. She's on the mend now though, so on with the show!

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**Part Fourteen: **Journey's End

**

* * *

**

"I am like a book, with pages that have stuck together for want of use: my mind needs unpacking and the truths stored within must be turned over from time to time, to be ready when occasion demands"

**Seneca

* * *

**

**Martha**

She knew now just why it was she had felt like she needed to conserve her energies. And yet, 'rewiring' Donna, as she had called it, was not as draining as she'd thought it would be. It was delicate work though, that needed her full attention. That being said, it was done by the time the New Doctor returned.

It was truly bizarre, looking at this man. He looked like her husband, but he _wasn't_ her husband. She felt no connection to him – his mind wasn't linked to hers. It was a trifle unsettling.

"There we are, all repaired!" New Doctor was saying, as he checked the walls of the TARDIS.

Martha couldn't fault him; he'd done a good job. She looked at him curiously. "You look like him, but you're not him, are you? You're... something new." She said, tilting her head at him, suddenly fascinated.

Martha didn't know it, but to Donna and the New Doctor, she looked exactly like _the _Doctor when he discovered something new and unknown to him.

"I look like him, same memories and everything," he gave her a sly wink, and Martha suddenly realised that this _New _Doctor remembered what she looked like naked! Her hands flew to her cheeks, which felt like they were on fire, she was so embarrassed. "But no, I'm not him." He admitted and she found she couldn't look him in the eyes.

He chuckled, and turned to Donna. "I like blue," he said, pulling on his jacket. "What do you think?" he asked her. Martha consoled herself with the fact that he was at least decent enough not to press the matter, and was giving her time to collect herself.

"You-are-_bonkers!_" Donna shot back, and he looked offended.

"What's wrong with blue?" he demanded. Donna just rolled her eyes at him and went to look at the scanner. Then she frowned.

"You know, if I touched the hand and caused an instantaneous biological metacrisis, then you grew out of me. That must mean that you're part Doctor and part me. Part human. I kept hearing that heartbeat... it must have been you – you're a complicated event in time and space, it must have rippled back, converging on me... but why me?" Donna stood tapping her chin whilst New Doctor stared at her, open mouthed, in shock.

Martha, for her part, wasn't surprised at all. Rewriting Donna's DNA had awakened her Time Lord mind, allowing her to make connections, to see the universe the way the Doctor did. The tiny bit of celestial she had given her merely made her body able to withstand the onslaught of her powerful new mind, and all the extra information it contained.

Martha met Donna's eyes and grinned, her friend had the Doctor, well, New Doctor on the hop and it was a pleasure to be here to witness it.

"Is there something you ladies would like to tell me?" he asked, leaning forward and resting his hands on the console.

After receiving a nod from Donna, Martha explained.

New Doctor was humble enough to admit that it hadn't occurred to him that the metacrisis was two way, so he also hadn't considered the consequences to Donna. Rather than be angry that they had acted without speaking with him about it, he was pleased that a possible tragedy had been averted before it had even had a chance to consider occurring.

"So then, what are we going to do?" Martha prompted them. New Doctor moved to join Donna at the scanner, glancing at Martha. His eyes met hers for a second, and then flicked down to her baby belly.

"Everything, alright?" he asked, and she felt a bit sorry for him. She wasn't his wife, and they weren't his babies, but he must have felt a bit like they were. He had all the Doctor's memories, so he knew her pretty much as well as the Doctor did. She wondered if some part of this New Doctor loved her too.

He must have guessed what she was thinking, or at least some of it, because he turned to face her, and spoke. "There's bits of me I got from Donna, and bits from the Doctor. But there's also me in here, someone new. I do care deeply for you, Martha, and for the babies. So, if you need anything, if there's anything I can do – you will tell me, won't you?" he asked earnestly, and she smiled.

"Sure, of course I will. But everything's fine. These two aren't due for at least four or five months yet, so don't worry – okay?" He smiled and nodded.

"OK. Well then, let's get to work, shall we?"

* * *

**The Doctor**

He had spent most of the last several minutes on auto-pilot. He could not give the Daleks _any_ hint that he knew the TARDIS had escaped – escaped with his wife and sister still on board, and alive.

When Jack did his thing and escaped, he felt yet another spark of hope burst into his hearts. He'd been thinking it was all over, the selfish man in him hadn't wanted to save the universe, because he'd believed a universe without his family was a universe not worth saving. Foolish and selfish, yes, but some might say, understandable.

Now he and Rose were in something called The Vault, and were in holding cells activated by Davros.

"Even when powerless, a Time Lord is best contained." Davros had said.

The Doctor had taunted him about still being scared of him. When Davros tried to take a trip down Memory Lane, the Doctor had taunted him about being the pet of the Daleks. Seemed as though even if Davros had created them, the Daleks thought they were superior to him.

"So very full of fire, is he not? And to think, you crossed entire universes, striding parallel to parallel, to find him again," Davros said to Rose.

Rose was looking at the Doctor now, but he could not interpret the look on her face. He wasn't altogether sure he wanted to, either. As far as Rose knew, Martha was dead. The Doctor's wife, the woman who stood between them, was dead. Rose was already in a delicate state after the cack-handed way he'd told her about Martha, she was likely not thinking clearly.

Did she wonder if things would change, now that Martha was gone? Only, Martha wasn't gone – she was very much alive. Gods, he was probably doing Rose a disservice by thinking like this. He was being spiteful, because his wife was right – part of him _did _want to punish her, for building and using the Dimension Canon. He also wanted to make sure she never had a reason to try again, either, since once this was over; she'd have to go back to Pete's World.

"Leave her alone." He told Davros, still operating on auto-pilot.

"She is mine, to do as I please." Davros told him.

"Then why am I still alive?" Rose wanted to know, and despite himself, the Doctor was proud of the way Rose looked Davros right in the eyes.

"You must be here – it was foretold. Even the Supreme Dalek would not _dare_ contradict the prophecies of Dalek Caan." Davros explained.

It was the same Dalek who'd made an emergency temporal shift when faced with the Doctor in Manhattan. The Doctor had seen him on the scanner earlier, but Caan's madness was even more apparent now that they were in the same room.

"So cold, and dark. Fire is coming. The endless flames..."

The Doctor explained to Rose who Caan was and why he had lost his mind. Davros claimed that Caan had seen Time and knew what was going to happen in the future.

"This I have foreseen, in the wild, the wind: the Doctor will be here, as witness, at the end of everything. The Doctor, and his precious Children of Time...and one of them will die!"

"Was it you, Caan? Did you kill them? Why did the TARDIS door close? Tell me!" he shouted, hoping that he would be throwing Davros off the scent. His old enemy would expect him to be angry about the death of his friends, and would be suspicious if he wasn't.

"Oh! That's it! The anger, the fire, the rage of a Time Lord who butchered _millions_! There he is." Davros whispered the last part, clearly enjoying himself. And while he wasn't too pleased at the reminder of what he had done, the life he'd made on the TARDIS with Martha and with Donna, had gone a long way towards healing him.

Rose had begun it, she'd made him better. But Martha, their children and the sister he'd found in Donna had completed it. That's not to say what he'd done was right, or good. It just _was_, and he was starting to accept that.

Davros thought he had hit a nerve – he hadn't. He'd hit a bruise which was yellowing, almost gone.

"Why so shy? Show your companion, show her your true self – Dalek Caan has promised me that too."

"I have seen, at the time of ending, the Doctor's soul will be revealed." Caan cut in.

"What does that mean?" the Doctor asked.

"We shall discover it, together." Davros promised, and the Doctor felt like rolling his eyes at him. "Our final journey. Because the ending approaches, the testing begins."

"Testing of what?" the Doctor wanted to know.

"The Reality Bomb," replied Davros.

* * *

**Donna**

They were shaken about roughly in the TARDIS, and when they managed to find their balance, she, Martha and New Doctor looked at the scanner.

New Doctor said it was the twenty seven planets, creating a single string of z-neutrino energy, compressed –

"Oh my _God_!" she exclaimed, horrified. She noticed Martha looked confused, while New Doctor simply looked grim. She hastened to explain. "Electrical energy holds all atoms together, the Daleks clearly have some weapon which transmits a signal which cancels that electricity out – it makes the atoms disperse. They're going to use the twenty seven planets to transmit the wavelength right across the universe, destroying everything, absolutely everything. Remember what Rose said?"

Martha gasped with alarm. "The stars are going out! Oh, _Christ!_"

There was silence for a moment as the three of them contemplated this horrific truth.

"But that's it! Davros said he made the Daleks out of his own cells, if we could somehow shift it back to him –" New Doctor began.

"Then it would backfire and instead of wiping out the universe, it would wipe out all the Daleks. We'll need a z-neutrino biological converter!" Donna said.

"Way ahead of you!" New Doctor declared, pulling up some grating from the floor of the TARDIS and pulling out a trunk.

* * *

**The Doctor**

Seeing his old friend, Sir Alastair Lethbridge Stewart on a comms screen was bad enough, but hearing what he was threatening to do, with something called the Osterhagen Key, was even worse. Still, he knew that his friend was trying to help.

When another signal came through, the Doctor wasn't quite sure what he was expecting. Part of him suspected it would be Jack. What else did he think the immortal man would be doing, other than trying to scupper the Daleks any way he could? But the Doctor wasn't at all happy about who was with him. Nor was he happy that Jack had wired a warp-star into the ship and was threatening to detonate it.

He couldn't help it, it made his hearts heavy. These people were willing to die, to kill – for him. It weighed him down, it –

"And the prophecy unfolds..." Davros said grandly.

"The Doctor's soul is revealed! Ha, ha, ha! See him, see the heart of him!" Caan called out madly.

"The man who abhors violence, never carrying a gun, but this is the truth Doctor, you take people and fashion them into weapons–"

"Please _do_ shut up, you're really boring me, you know," Martha's voice cut into Davros' speech. The Doctor looked left and right, trying to see her. She wasn't there to be seen, however, she told him silently that she was projecting, through their connection. She was still safely hidden in the TARDIS.

"Daleks! Trace that signal!" Davros ordered, but looked extremely perturbed when he heard Martha's laughter.

"Signal! You think in such technological terms, so limited, so small. It's to be expected, I suppose. Now, Davros, do be a good boy and be quiet while the grown-ups are speaking." Martha said, and the Doctor could see Davros' mouth moving, but no sound was coming out.

The Doctor felt a brief spike of worry for the power she was using, but she assured him that it was fine and that the TARDIS was helping.

"Good, thank you. So, you claim that this man fashions people into weapons. Well, quite frankly, that's a load of bollocks. The Doctor teaches people to be everything that they can be. He gives them choices, he says, you don't have to put up with this – you can fight, and you can win. That no cause is lost if there is but one fool left to fight for it – no wait, that's from _Pirates of the Caribbean_. Anyway, at one time, he might have believed that the fact his friends are willing to lay down their lives to defeat you was all his fault. But he knows better now, or at least, he should."

There was a pause, and then the Doctor felt as though she was speaking directly to him. Rose and Davros' faces, along with the people on the screens proved that they could still hear her, however.

"We spoke about choices, Doctor. Your friends are not choosing to kill, for you. They're choosing to die, for their planet. And for their sons, for their daughters, their friends, their families – for themselves. A wise man once wrote: Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

She spoke silently into his mind this time. "_So no more feeling sorry for yourself, Doctor. You know I'm right – I'm seven months pregnant and have lost the ability to bullshit, along with the ability to go for more than forty five minutes without having to pee, though I expect you didn't want to know that last bit. Hold on, my darling. We'll be there soon."_ And with that, Martha's voice was gone.

Her presence was still there, in his mind, but he could tell she was focussing on something else, so he let her be.

Davros had, unfortunately, regained the power of speech now that Martha had withdrawn her powers. But he seemed rather floored at the moment, and looked like he didn't know what to say.

Unfortunately, the Supreme Dalek had no such problems, and transmatted Alastair, Jack, Mickey, Jackie and Sarah Jane into the vault. They were told to get on their knees, and did so, as several Daleks came over to guard them.

"Doctor! Who was that! Where is she? Caan said all the Children of Time would be here!" Davros demanded and the Doctor shrugged.

"You think I can tell her what to do? We're not tied at the hip you know. She could have sent that signal to you from Earth." He explained, and Davros looked at him suspiciously.

"Daleks, trace that signal," he ordered. Then he went back to grandstanding. "Ah, the prophecy is in place. The Doctor and his Children of Time all gathered as witnesses. Supreme Dalek, the time has come. Detonate the Reality Bomb!"

The Doctor pleaded with Davros, but to no avail. He knew Martha and Donna were coming, but no idea what they had planned, or if they would even arrive in time.

Davros was laughing manically. "Nothing can stop the detonation! Nothing, and no one!" He cried.

And then they heard it, the wheezing and groaning noise. Everyone in the room heard it, and nearly everyone knew exactly what it meant.

The TARDIS was materialising.

"Impossible!" Davros breathed, clearly more than shocked this time.

When the door opened, and the Doctor saw – well – himself walk out, he really didn't know what to think.

* * *

**Martha**

Projecting her voice into the Crucible had been child's play, thanks to the TARDIS. But when they materialised inside the vault where their friends and family were being held, Martha had a bit of a dilemma.

Stepping outside the ship would be deliberately putting herself in danger, something she'd promised not to do. But if Donna and New Doctor were right, and reality itself was at risk, surely they should use every resource they had?

New Doctor had run outside before Martha had been able to make a decision. Donna had been close behind him. When Davros zapped Donna, suddenly the strands connected in Martha's mind. With the help of her sons' burgeoning connection to time and space, she could see what would happen.

She could keep her promise and stay in the TARDIS, because Auntie Donna was going to save the day.

* * *

**The Doctor**

As he saw the copy of him and then Donna fall, he was in two minds about whether he wanted Martha to come running – well maybe not _running _– for Martha to come out of the TARDIS next. When she didn't come, he started to worry.

"_Have a little faith, sweetie. Everything's going to be fine, just fine..."_ He heard her voice in his head, trying to soothe him, but he was finding it hard to follow her instructions. He began to get a little annoyed, surely she should do _something_, reality was at stake here – which meant their boys were in danger, no matter what.

"_I don't need to, it's all in hand. Just wait, oh ye of little faith!"_ she scolded him, but as the count grew closer to zero, he grew increasingly more frantic.

"Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one..." An alarm blared out in the vault, and the screen Davros had brought up disappeared.

"Mmm, closing all z-neutrino relay loops using an internalised, synchronous back feed reversal loop. That button there!" Donna's smug voice rang out into the vault.

"Donna, you can't even change a plug!" the Doctor protested, completely flabbergasted.

"D'you wanna bet, Time-boy!" she shot back at him, but he was no less confused.

"You'll suffer for this!" Davros threatened, but Donna wasn't fazed. She just looked at him with contempt.

Davros pointed at her, clearly planning to zap her again, but Donna pulled a lever and said, "Oh, bio-electric dampening field, with a retrogressive arc inversion," causing Davros to zap himself, instead.

"Exterminate her!" Davros ordered the Daleks in the vault, but Donna was back at the controls.

When they tried to shoot her, nothing happened. "Weapons non functional!" they cried, and Donna laughed.

"Ooh, macrotransmission of a k-filter wavelength, blocking Dalek weaponry in a self-energy blindfold matrix?"

"But how did you work that out?" the Doctor asked, "You're –"

"A Time Lord. Well, partly." The other him cut in.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor demanded, getting slightly annoyed.

"Later." Donna informed him, "Holding cells deactivated!" She cried. "And seal the vault!" Action suited words, and the two Doctors and Rose were free.

Martha had entered the room by this point, but he'd only just noticed her, leaning nonchalantly against the open door of the TARDIS. She gave him a jaunty wave when he looked her way, and before he knew it he had sprinted across the room and swept her up into his arms. Sadly, they were interrupted.

* * *

**Donna**

"Well don't just stand there, you skinny boys in suits! Get to work!" She called, and the two Doctors ran over. They joined her at the Dalek terminals, and she was pleased to see them waiting for her orders. Now, this was the way things should be!

"Stop them!" Davros called out, but she was ready for him.

"Aaaaand, spin," she said, twiddling some buttons, and causing the Daleks to do just that – spin out of control. "Aaaand, the other way," she added, making them spin in the opposite direction.

"What's that?" Her original Doctor asked. Martha, who had moved to stand beside her, just laughed and patted her on the arm.

"What did you do?" New Doctor wanted to know. Donna leaned forward.

"Trip-stitch circuit-breaker in the psychokinetic threshold manipulator!" she explained.

"But, that's brilliant!" New Doctor praised her.

"Why did we never think of that?" Original Doctor wondered.

Oh, the poor, poor men, so nice but dim. "Because you two, were just Time Lords, you dumbos, lacking that little bit of human, that gut instinct that comes hand-in-hand with Planet Earth – I can think of ideas you two wouldn't dream up in a million years! Oh, the universe has been waiting for me! Now let's send that trip-stitch all over the ship!"

They set to work properly then, since the Daleks had been neutralised for the moment. They activated the Magnatron so that they could send the planets back home. Davros tried to stop them, but Jack had been to the TARDIS to retrieve his guns, and handed one to Mickey, who was now guarding Davros. The three of them started sending back planets like nobody's business.

Rose and the others approached them at that point, asking just what the hell was going on. Donna explained: "_He _poured all his regeneration energy into his spare hand, _I_ touched the hand, _he _grew out of that - but that fed back into _me! _As far as Davros knew, I was just another human, so when he put me out, I was able to get to the controls, and well – you know the rest!"

"A human being with a Time Lord brain," the original Doctor marvelled. "So unique the timelines were converging on you," he said, and Donna smiled.

"Well, yes. But you know as well as I do that a human-Time Lord metacrisis is unstable. It would have killed me, eventually. So the lovely Martha he stepped in, worked her magic, and hey presto! I'm the Doctor-Donna-Martha!"

"Just like the Ood said, remember?" Martha reminded her man. "They saw it coming."

"So, there's three of you now?" Rose interrupted them, and Donna decided to keep quiet. It was strange, but having heard so much about this woman, now that she had met her, Donna didn't know what to make of Rose Tyler.

While Donna had 'inherited' the Doctor's mind, she didn't receive his personality at the same time. She didn't know what it felt like to be in love with Rose. She only knew that Rose had been told two universes could be destroyed if she tried to come back and Rose had done it anyway. Donna didn't approve of Rose's choices even before she had inherited her new knowledge. And since now she had an even greater understanding of the danger the Dimension Cannon could cause, she was even less inclined to be sympathetic.

Oh, for sure, she did feel sorry for her. To have been torn away from the man she loved must have been devastating. But on the other hand, she had her family, and a chance at a whole new life. She had opportunities in Pete's World which she never would have had in this one. Donna couldn't identify with a person who wouldn't seize the chances they were offered and preferred to live in the past. She didn't think Rose should have got over it straight away, but from what she knew it had been years for her, Donna thought she really should have moved on by now.

Her internal musings were interrupted at that point.

"But you promised me, Dalek Caan. Why did you not foresee this?" Davros interrupted their happy moment, but if he was expecting an apology from Caan, he wasn't going to get it. All he got was more manic laughter.

"Oh, I think he did. Something has been manipulating the time lines for ages, getting Donna Noble to the right place at the right time." Original Doctor said. Clearly, he'd been suspecting something.

"This would always have happened, I only helped, Doctor." Caan told him.

"You betrayed the Daleks!" Davros accused.

Suddenly, Caan didn't sound so insane. "I _saw _the Daleks. What we have done, throughout Time and Space. I saw the truth of us, Creator, and I decreed: no more."

The Supreme Dalek was clearly stronger than the others, and managed to descend into the vault. He tried to exterminate them, but only succeeded in destroying the Magnatron.

"We've lost the Magnatron! And there's only one planet left, oh, guess which one? But we can use the TARDIS –" The original Doctor shouted, and dashed off into the TARDIS.

* * *

**New Doctor**

While his counterpart was taking care of things inside the ship, he and Donna were still working away. "Holding Earth stability, maintaining atmospheric shell," he said, but Dalek Caan's voice carried quietly across the room to him.

"The prophecy must complete." He said, simply.

"Don't listen to him!" cried Davros.

New Doctor felt a chill run down his spine.

"I have seen the end of everything; it must surely happen, Doctor." Caan insisted.

"He's right. 'Cause with or without a Reality Bomb, this Dalek Empire's big enough to slaughter the cosmos! They've got to be stopped!"

"But – I – I guess you're right. Is there no other way?" Donna asked, coming to stand with him, looking up at him with pain filled eyes.

"You can't change Daleks, Donna. You know that." He replied and she nodded. They reached for the controls together. "Maximising Dalekenium power feeds! And, blasting them back - !"

Explosions went off around the ship, they could heard them above and below. Three Daleks which had been pushed into the corners earlier exploded and were no more. The other Doctor must have felt the blast, because he came running out of the TARDIS.

"What have you done?" he demanded, though from his face it was obvious he already knew.

"Fulfilling the prophecy." New Doctor replied firmly. He could tell his counterpart wanted to shout at him, but deferred on it, preferring to guide his wife safely into the TARDIS.

It was an odd thing, to look at Martha and remember the other him lying in her arms, watching her sleep, making love – it was very strange. He, himself, loved Martha, but not in that way. Perhaps there was enough of Donna in him to temper those feelings, but when he looked on Martha, it was like looking at his brother's wife. Which made his intimate memories of her all the more disturbing. He would have to find a way to block them, to make himself forget. It was something the other Doctor had done plenty of times, and shouldn't be too difficult.

New Doctor ran into the TARDIS with the others, wondering what Fate would have in store for him next.

* * *

**Martha**

She watched from her seat near the scanner as the others ran in. Her husband looked as though he wanted to go outside and try to save Davros, and yet he stuck resolutely to her side. Once everyone was in the door was closed and the Doctor set the TARDIS moving.

"But what about the Earth? It's stuck in the wrong part of space!" Sarah-Jane called from across the console. Martha hadn't met her before, but knew who she was thanks to her connection to the Doctor. She was hoping that once this crisis was over she might be able to get to know this woman on her own terms.

"I'm on it!" the Doctor called back to Sarah-Jane. "Torchwood Hub! This is the Doctor! Are you receiving me?" Over his shoulder, Martha could see the faces of Gwen and Ianto as they appeared on the screen, likely through the subwave network they had been using earlier.

"Loud and clear!" Gwen replied, and then asked, "Is Jack there?"

"Can't get rid of him!" He looked over at Jack for a moment and asked, "Jack, what's her name?"

"Gwen Cooper." Jack told him.

"Tell me, Gwen Cooper, are you from an old Cardiff family?" The Doctor asked. Martha blinked at the non sequitur.

"Well, yes. All the way back to the 1800s, why?" Gwen replied, clearly as confused as Martha.

"Thought so, special genetic multiplicity, funny old world. _I'll explain later_," the last part he'd added silently to Martha. "Right, Torchwood, I want you to fire up that Rift Manipulator and send all the power to me!"

Another face appeared in the screen. "Doing it now, sir!"

Martha glanced at Jack and was slightly surprised at the warm smile on his face. It was clearly a reaction to the sound of this new person, which meant that whoever it was, was very important to Jack. Sensing a story, and maybe a bit of gossip too, Martha mentally made a note to ask him about it when all this was over.

Martha watched silently as her husband and their friends banded together to literally tow the Earth back to its normal position in space and time. She kept out of the way, sitting on the flight seat, revelling in the smiles of everyone as they flew the TARDIS. She could feel how much her husband was loving this, seeing the Control Room so crowded with friends and family.

When the time came to say goodbye, Martha knew some would be more difficult than others. The first person who asked to be taken home was Sarah-Jane. She asked to speak to the Doctor outside, alone, and Martha unabashedly listened in through their shared connection.

"You know, when I saw you last, you seemed so lonely. Even though you had Rose and Mickey with you. But now, I don't know. Something's changed, and I reckon it has everything to do with the very pregnant lady in there. Care to share?"

Martha could feel the jumble of emotions that went through her bondmate in that moment. He felt, embarrassed, excited, nervous and proud, all at once. As he explained the situation to Sarah-Jane, and accepted her heartfelt congratulations, Martha turned her attention back to the people still in the TARDIS.

Donna was on the phone to her family, letting them know she was OK and making sure they were too. Two people Martha recognised from the Doctor's memories, Jackie Tyler and Mickey, were having a hushed conversation nearby. Feeling no qualms at all, Martha eavesdropped on that too.

"I'm going to miss you, more than anyone," Mickey was saying to Rose's Mum. Martha didn't need to listen to the rest of the conversation to know what Mickey was trying to say. This was his original universe too, she knew that. And she guessed, correctly it turned out, that he was planning on staying here instead of going back with Rose and Jackie.

He ended up leaving with Jack, though Jack himself didn't get to leave before the Doctor deactivated the teleporter in his wrist computer.

Then it was time – one last trip, destination: Dårlig Ulv-Stranden – better known as, Bad Wolf Bay.

And Martha had no idea what to expect with this one.


End file.
